


It's Just Pretend

by SuperstitiousPigeons



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Curse, F/F, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, I Don't Even Know, I'm Sorry, Light Angst, Sharing a Bed, Tropes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2019-11-26 19:51:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 70,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18184991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperstitiousPigeons/pseuds/SuperstitiousPigeons
Summary: Waverly might have let Wynonna think that she had been in a relationship with someone for the last six months, but she never expected to have to introduce her sister to her significant other-especially since there wasn't one. Her best friend intervenes and convinces Waverly to hire someone to be her date home to Purgatory.ORIt's one trope after another hitting our lovable girls in the face.





	1. Chapter I

**Author's Note:**

> So, I was going through my old schoolwork to find a particular research paper I had written to use sources on a current paper I'm writing. Long story short, I found a few chapters of this fic that I wrote around Valentine's Day. I kept seeing those "rent a date" posts on Facebook that made me laugh and then this thing was born.
> 
> Don't take it too seriously. It's just a big gay mess. If you're interested in the rest of the fic, let me know!

“Chrissy, I’m totally screwed here,” Waverly groaned before flopping down on the couch dramatically. The blonde watched as she eyed her phone with disgust and then threw the offending item on the coffee table.

“Like you ‘forgot to study for a test’ screwed or ‘I missed my period, and I might be having Champ Hardy’s baby’ screwed?” At that Waverly picked up a throw pillow and aimed at her best friend’s head.

“Don’t joke about me forgetting to study for a test,” she pouted.

“Because having a baby with Hardy James would be worse than forgetting a test?” Chrissy arched an eyebrow.

“Okay, no,” Waverly admitted. “Anyway, I might have told Wynonna a few months ago that I was dating someone. Do you remember when she came to visit, and we ended up at that club?” Chrissy began to laugh only causing Waverly to throw, yet another, pillow at the blonde.

“Jesus, stop it,” Chrissy shouted while holding her hands up in surrender.

“What are you laughing at?” Waverly pouted. She also noticed that she had no more pillows within her reach, so Chrissy better not have had any wise-ass remarks left. At that thought Waverly decided she needed to invest in more objects that could be lobbed at her best friend in stressful moments such as these.

“Waves, you seriously just asked me if I remember Wynonna Earp visiting us and us ending up at a club. That’s literally every single time that your sister visits.” Waverly wanted to deny that fact, but really, she had to give Chrissy this one.

“Okay, fine,” Waverly admitted, “but this was the last time she visited us.” Chrissy shook her head. “Oh! It’s the time you went home with Barry the bartender. I remember because you text me the next morning and told me that he had pictures of his creepy dog all over the apartment.” Chrissy snorted.

“You thought it had auto-corrected the word dong,” she continued laughing. “Okay, I remember now. Continue.”

“Well, she was giving me her spiel about how she failed me as a sister. That I was supposed to be the good Earp. Then she started crying about how she knew I was lonely, and she was going to make it all up to me by finding me some guy to hook up with.” She was really going to have to punch Chrissy if she didn’t stop laughing. She shot her a look that screamed ‘I’m going to murder you if you don’t shut up’ and waited for the blonde to get over herself.

“I don’t know if that look was supposed to intimidate me, but you were about as scary looking as a squirrel just now,” Chrissy added.

“I’ll have you know that squirrels can be dangerous. Eric Davis was bitten by one when we were in elementary school and ended up in the hospital with an infection,” Waverly explained with an air of arrogance that she should have known wouldn’t deter Chrissy.

“The bite got infected because he didn’t wash his hands after using the bathroom, Waverly. He was a gross little boy,” Chrissy sighed. “Just get on with the story. Please.” Waverly wanted to shout that she had been trying to get on with the story without Chrissy’s snarky input, but she knew that mentioning that would only prolong the story. And Waverly really just needed advice from her best friend.

“So, I told Wynonna that I had been seeing someone for a few weeks. We were taking it slow. She lit up like a Christmas tree and then quit her blubbering.”

“I’m not seeing the problem here, Waves.”

“She thinks I’ve been dating someone for like six months!” Waverly all but screamed. “I know that my entire family is expecting me to come home with someone next week, and I’ve got nothing. I can’t just say that we broke up right before I was meant to go home. That’ll look suspicious.”

Waverly had never been frustrated to the point that she wanted to beat someone up and cry at the same time, and yet, here she was. She definitely needed to invest in some boxing lessons or something. Maybe she could learn how to get her anger out in healthier ways.

“Waverly, there’s no way that Wynonna remembered that night. Especially if she was crying.” The blonde moved from the loveseat opposite of the couch Waverly was on and sat down beside the brunette. “And even if she did remember that night, she wouldn’t say anything. Wynonna would never actively admit to showing emotions.” She leaned into the blonde and enjoyed being held for a moment before pulling away.

“I wish that were the case, but Chrissy, she did remember! She asks me about this mystery person every time she calls!”

“She only calls you like twice a month,” Chrissy interjected.

“So, I’ve been able to get away with vague answers,” Waverly replied, “but she said I had to bring Mr. Mysterious home for spring break since he couldn’t come visit at Christmas. She’s not taking no for an answer!”

Chrissy genuinely felt bad for Waverly. Being from Purgatory was hard enough, but to add being an Earp to that? She knew it was bad. She had watched Waverly cry after school because she had missed her family. She had watched Waverly ignore the whispers and stares that she would get after the accident that killed her father and oldest sister.

Chrissy’s father was an amazing dad. He had always welcomed Waverly into their home. He had always treated her best friend like she was a second daughter. And with that bit of normalcy, Waverly had begun to adapt to her new life with ease. She had moved in with her aunt and uncle and spent weekends with Chrissy, whether they were at the Nedley residence or the McCready’s ranch.

In high school she had captured the attention of Champ Hardy, arguably the most popular guy in their grade. She had become head cheerleader. She was the “it” girl. Eventually, she and Waverly had graduated from high school and gone to college together, ensuring that they were roommates in a small apartment off-campus.

Wynonna had made her way back into Waverly’s life after Shorty, the man who was like an uncle to them both, had died. Their relationship was fragile, and she could understand why Waverly was having such a fit over something seemingly as small as her dating life.

“Well, I might have an idea…” she noticed the wary look that Waverly was giving her and knew it was well-deserved. “I had a friend last semester who found himself in the same type of situation. Jeremy Chetri, remember him?” Waverly nodded. “He was tired of his parents meddling into his life and setting him up with their friends’ daughters.”

“I thought Jeremy was gay?” Waverly interrupted. Chrissy began to chuckle despite herself.

“He is. But at that point he hadn’t come out to his parents and was afraid that they would disown him if they found out so…”

“So?” Waverly questioned after realizing Chrissy wasn’t going to continue talking without a little probing from her end.

“He hired a girl to pretend to be his girlfriend?” Chrissy shrugged her shoulders and waited for Waverly to say something.

“I’m not that desperate,” Waverly immediately shouted before standing up and pacing around the living room. “Besides, where would I even find a guy? I can’t put an ad on Craigslist. Do you know the kind of creeps that would show up? They would make Champ look tame,” she shook in disgust.

“Actually, I was thinking about Nicole,” Chrissy explained.

“Who in the heck is Nicole?” Waverly stopped pacing and simply stood in front of Chrissy, hands on her hips.

“The girl that Jeremy hired,” she answered, as though that explained everything. “I met her once. She was actually really nice.”

“I’m not gay, Chrissy. I can’t just bring some girl home. And second of all,” she held up her finger before leveling it to Chrissy’s face, “what kind of monster would a person be to earn money off of someone’s loneliness?”

“Wow, judgmental much?” Chrissy snapped. “She’s actually really cool. She and Jeremy are like best friends now. He helps her get dates. I just thought it was an option. Clearly you can figure it out on your own though.” With that, she stood up and made her way to the front door. She stopped at the coat rack to grab her jacket and purse. “I’m going to get a bite to eat. Do you want to join me?”

“Yeah, sure.” Waverly rolled her eyes before following behind Chrissy. “Where are we going?”

“I just figured I would pick up a sandwich from Tony’s. We can work on the rough draft of the speech you’re inevitably going to write before calling Wynonna with the truth.” At that, Waverly stopped walking.

“Chrissy, that’s honestly not an option at this point. She’s been so excited about busting the guy’s balls and stuff. She was never around for Champ. I think she wants to be able to do the whole shovel talk. On top of that, I think she just blames herself for everything she thinks is wrong in my life,” Chrissy nodded. The blonde didn’t know Wynonna too well. Aside from the occasional visit from the older Earp, she had never been around in Purgatory.

“Well, I think you should really consider getting in touch with Jeremy. Maybe you could talk him into going home with you?” Waverly sighed, linking her arm in the crook of Chrissy’s elbow and continued to walk toward the tiny bistro that Chrissy so often frequented.

“I couldn’t ask a gay man to be my boyfriend-

“Pretend-boyfriend, Waverly,” Chrissy explained with a quick interruption.

“Whatever,” she scoffed. “There’s no way it would be believable. This Nicole girl had her work cut out for her, I’m sure.” At the idea of Jeremy trying to kiss a girl, she began to giggle.

“Well, it obviously worked. He said his parents stopped setting him up with girls, but I think Nicole is a lesbian, so his parents were either oblivious or they were both really good actors.” Chrissy opened the door once they made it to the shop and pointed to a table. “I’ll get our regulars. You grab that booth,” Waverly nodded.

It was the most bizarre thing for her to wrap her head around. Some girl was going around getting paid to pretend to be someone’s girlfriend. Was she essentially a prostitute? Could people pay the woman for sex? Waverly considered herself to be of above-average intelligence, but she truly couldn’t understand why someone would sell their company in such a way.

She looked out the window of the shop and sighed. She shouldn’t have gotten herself into this stupid situation. She was happily single, and she should have simply told Wynonna that. She knew Wynonna though, and drunk Wynonna would not have stopped that night unless Waverly had gone home with some random man suitable to her sister’s beer goggles. At this point, she had been lying to Wynonna for months about a significant other though. She knew she could come clean, but a small part of her was happy with how proud of her Wynonna had been upon hearing that she was managing school, a job, and a healthy relationship.

And with that last thought she inhaled deeply. Chrissy made her way over with their drinks and sat across from the petite girl, handing Waverly her water. “Mama needs her thinking juice to help you out,” Chrissy explained when she caught Waverly looking at her bottle of beer. “What about Xavier?”

“Dolls?!” Waverly shouted. “Please, that would be a train wreck. I can imagine it now. Pass.” With a wave of her hand, Chrissy brushed her off.

“Waverly, you can’t be so picky! You got yourself into this situation. I say you should just tell Wynonna the truth. Or, how about, I don’t know, tell her that your boyfriend is sick? Out of town? Working? Anything!”

“I might have made the mistake of telling Wynonna that they were a student here and that we were spending spring break together. She just had to go all Wynonna and demand that we come out to the homestead to see what she had done with the place. She sounded so proud of herself, Chrissy. What was I supposed to do?” She watched as her roommate nodded to herself, resigned to the fact that they were actually going to have to come up with a real solution to this ridiculous problem.

“The farmhouse,” a server interrupted, and Chrissy gestured at Waverly, refusing to look at the monstrosity of a vegan sandwich that her best friend always ordered. She winked at the man after he set her plate in front of her. He was cute, after all.

“Thank you,” she looked at the name-tag, “Peter.” He returned the smile she flashed at him and walked away after asking if they needed anything else. Had Waverly not been in crisis mode she would have definitely upped her flirting. The things she did for her best friend. With that thought, she pulled her phone out of her purse and dialed a number that she hadn’t used in a while. She put the phone on speaker phone so that Waverly wouldn’t be clueless and waited.

“Chrissy Nedley, hey,” Jeremy’s cheerful voice picked up after a few rings. She pointedly kept herself from looking at Waverly, knowing that she was going to be angry.

“Hey! I actually had a question or two for you,” she heard some shuffling over the phone and took a quick glance at Waverly-who hadn’t touched her food and was instead glaring at Chrissy.

“Uh, okay, shoot,” Jeremy finally responded. “Wait, is this about your chemistry homework? I didn’t think you would actually take me up on the offer, but I’m excited that you did! It’s been a while since I’ve done the basic stuff,” Chrissy snorted.

“No, you nerd. I told you last semester that I wasn’t taking chemistry. I’m in some easy astronomy class. It counts as a science credit, the teacher is cute, and I have hardly any work to do.” She continued to ignore Waverly.

“Fine,” he drawled, sounding genuinely depressed. “What can I help you with then?” At this she bit the metaphorical bullet and looked Waverly in the eyes.

“I need you to give me some information about Nicole,” she explained. Before she could go further with her line of thought, Jeremy had interrupted with a whoop and a cheer.

“Awesome! She’s really close to having the money she needs for the academy so this couldn’t have come at a better time. Before I pass anything along to her though, is this for a guy or a girl? She doesn’t like doing this for men. You know, they generally don’t understand what they’re getting from the mutual agreement.”

“Mutual agreement,” Waverly finally piped up. “Is that what this is?” She asked, looking at Chrissy with fire in her eyes.

“Anyway,” Chrissy immediately interjected-hoping that Jeremy hadn’t heard Waverly’s outburst. “She is my best friend. You met Waverly when we had that study session over here.”

“Oh! Waverly Earp. Yes, of course! This can definitely be arranged. She wasn’t a creep or a pedophile,” he explained in a rehearsed tone that implied it was something that Nicole had hammered into his head beforehand.

“Good to know,” she heard Waverly mumble to herself before using her fork to stab at the side salad that came with her sandwich.

“Do you want me to email you some of the packages she offers? Or would you rather tell me what Miss Earp needs from the arrangement and have me relay that information to Nicole?” At this she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Waverly had stopped chewing her food and began to sputter and cough wildly.

“Are you crazy,” Waverly angrily whispered. “What kind of person has a side business of relationship packages? Hang up the phone. Now.” She growled. Chrissy sighed, knowing that when Waverly used her “angry” voice, she actually meant business. Still…

“Waverly needs a date to go home with her for spring break. They’ve been dating about half a year. If Nicole is available then we’re interested,” she waited for Jeremy to say something, but she could vaguely hear him mashing buttons on his phone. She wondered if he was texting Nicole then and there or if he was simply making a note to remind himself of exactly what Waverly needed out of the situation at hand.

“So, we’re talking about next week? That’s short notice,” he tsked. “Oh hey, she said she could meet up with Waverly tomorrow to go over some things and see if something could be worked out. Is she free?”

Chrissy looked at Waverly, who was no doubt embarrassed about the situation that she had been put in, but she couldn’t find herself to care about Waverly’s feelings at the moment. She was doing her best friend a favor, even if said best friend didn’t think so. She thought about Waverly’s work schedule and took the phone off speaker phone before putting it up to her ear. “Anytime tomorrow before four works.”

“Great,” Jeremy happily replied. “How about 11:30? At the coffee shop across the street from the pizza parlor? Do you know it?”

“Gross,” Chrissy immediately responded. “Yeah, Waverly knows where it is. She goes there all the time to read books. Thanks, Jeremy. Listen, we should really catch up sometime. I want to hear all about your boyfriend.”

“Heh, sure,” he stuttered, obviously flustered. “Thanks, Chrissy. Tell Waverly I think she’s going to really like Nicole.”

“Sure will,” she lied. If anything, Waverly would go into it trying to hate the woman just to spite her. Then again, Waverly didn’t really have a mean bone in her body. It was obvious by the fact that she was doing all of this so that Wynonna wouldn’t think she was a failure of a sister…or something. She still hadn’t really grasped the concept behind the situation.

“Oh, and can you send me a picture of Waverly to show Nicole, so she knows who to look for tomorrow? I can always grab one from Facebook, I guess, but I feel like that’s a little invasive of her privacy, y’know?”

“Sure, Jer, talk to you later, okay?” She didn’t wait for a response before hanging up. She looked through the various photos on her phone and picked one of Waverly that was fairly recent and quickly sent it to Jeremy.

“Chrissy, I could murder you right now. I’m only not because your father is the sheriff of our hometown and he would be upset with me.”

She rolled her eyes, “sure, Waverly. You’ll thank me. You're meeting Nicole tomorrow at 11:30. At Rosie’s or whatever.”

“It’s Rosita’s Café,” Waverly retorted. “And they have really good vegan cupcakes. Can’t a girl read ancient literature and enjoy a few vegan snacks without being criticized?”

The blonde snorted, “no, Waverly. You definitely cannot.” She took a look at her plate and sighed. “I’m going to eat my food now that I’ve solved your problem. Then I’m going to get our server’s number and go home. I don’t want to hear another complaint from you.” Waverly’s jaw dropped, reminding Chrissy of a fish out of water.

~~~~~~

“Nicole,” Jeremy shouted from his bedroom, hoping that the redhead would hear him from her location in the apartment. She and Robin had been watching some movie while he had been working on a project for his English class. He was not doing well in his British Literature class. Could anyone really blame him though?

“What’s up?” He jumped slightly, having not heard her enter his bedroom. He turned around in his rolling chair and clutched his chest.

“You gave me a heart attack,” he wheezed.

“You called me in here, Jeremy,” Nicole deadpanned. “Anyway, what did you need? Robin paused the movie, but I don’t think he wants to wait long. He’s got dreamy eyes for the male lead.” She gave him a teasing smile.

“I’ve got someone that is interested in your services,” he wiggled his eyebrows.

“Gross, Jeremy. That makes it sound shady.” He laughed before grabbing his phone from the desk and throwing it at the redhead. Her reflexes were spot on, which he was thankful for. He couldn’t afford a new phone had it been dropped and broken.

“You sure you want to be a cop? With those moves you could probably just be a secret agent or something way cooler.” She arched an eyebrow and shook the phone that was in her left hand. “Right, go look at the last picture I saved.”

“I don’t want to see another picture of your three chest hairs, Jeremy,” she sighed.

“Not that,” he squeaked. Nicole left the confines of his doorway and made her way to his bed. He watched with bated breath as she went to his photo gallery and clicked on the picture that Chrissy Nedley had sent him.

“Woah,” she mumbled under her breath.

“Her name is Waverly. You meet with her tomorrow at Rosita’s. 11:30. I even picked the gross coffee shop that you like so much.” He waited for Nicole to say something-anything at all. Instead, she was glued to his phone, absentmindedly tracing her fingers over the screen. “Nicole?”

“What’s wrong with her?” She finally asked, gently handing him the phone back. He was glad that she hadn’t tried to throw it because his hand-eye coordination extended to video games and chemistry projects only.

“What? Nothing. Why?”

“Someone that looks like that shouldn’t need a pretend girlfriend,” Nicole shrugged. “I guess we’ll see,” she smiled softly, and it made Jeremy’s heart ache for her in a way he didn’t exactly understand. “Waverly,” Nicole tested the name out a few times. “Any other information?”

“Yeah, actually,” he rubbed the nape of his neck, “she kind of needs you for like spring break, I think?” She flopped back on his bed and placed her hands behind her head.

“I didn’t have plans anyway,” she stated. Jeremy already knew that. She was going to be staying at his apartment over the break. She hadn’t visited her parents in who knew how long, and he couldn’t blame her. They reacted to her being a lesbian in a pretty good manner, but one mention of Nicole wanting to become a cop and they had flown off the handle? It was kind of insane, in his opinion.

“And you’ll be one step closer to getting into the academy, huh?” He asked with a smile on his face. “You’d think your full-ride scholarship to college would have been enough, but no, Nicole Haught wants to be a badass with a gun.”

“Shut up,” she sighed but he could tell she had been smiling just by the tone of her voice. “I’m going back to my dorm,” she finally admitted before rolling out of his bed. “Go spend some time with your boyfriend, Nerd.” He rolled his eyes but shut his laptop. She was right. He could afford to stop working on his homework long enough to enjoy the rest of the movie with Robin.

“Let me know how it goes with Waverly tomorrow,” he called after her.

“I’m sure it won’t be anything special, Chetri,” she replied.


	2. Chapter II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly had spent the entire morning convincing herself that she couldn’t care less about meeting Nicole; however, the brief fact that she hadn’t been able to get much sleep the previous night due to a twisting feeling in her gut might have screamed otherwise. She wasn’t nervous, no, not at all. It must have been something she had eaten. 
> 
> or
> 
> Waverly and Nicole finally meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was surprised that anyone read this story with how stupid and cheesy it was, but hey, apparently someone else out there likes stupid and cheesy too! Thanks for the comments and feedback.
> 
> All errors are courtesy of me and maybe my Aussie, Barry, who doesn't know how to keep his fat paws off of my laptop.

Waverly had spent the entire morning convincing herself that she couldn’t care less about meeting Nicole; however, the brief fact that she hadn’t been able to get much sleep the previous night due to a twisting feeling in her gut might have screamed otherwise. She wasn’t nervous, no, not at all. It must have been something she had eaten.

In fact, she cared so little about meeting Nicole, she decided she was going to show up to Rosita’s late. Of course, the more that she thought about it, she realized that she couldn’t actually bring herself to be late. Being on-time was something that she always strove to be. It was a way for her to control situations. It did feel nice to rebel against Chrissy-and by extension, Nicole-in her imagination though!

Instead, she chose to show off her lack of interest in the situation by not dressing to impress. She decided to wear something that made her feel confident. After all, she was about to single-handedly become the most pathetic person in the history of the world. Why shouldn’t she feel good about herself while doing it?

She looked in the mirror and sighed. She had already brushed her hair three times. She had lost count at how many times she had touched up her make-up. Mind you, it was for her own sake! She didn’t care if Nicole was impressed by her or not.

A knock at the door brought her out of her daze. Before she could hide the various outfits that had been left out on her bed, Chrissy barged in. She looked away after realizing that the blonde was eyeing the clothes that had been haphazardly discarded. “I thought you said you were going to wear your period sweats and an oversized shirt to ‘protest this gross idea of a pseudo-hooker,’” Chrissy mimicked air quotes while trying her hardest not to laugh.

“I decided against it,” she whined before plopping down on a clear spot of her bed. “I don’t want this girl to think I’m trying to impress her, Chris, but I also don’t want to look as bad as I initially implied,” she sheepishly admitted.

“You’re an idiot, Waverly Earp, but God, I love you,” she rolled her eyes and made her way to the closet. She grabbed a pair of high-waisted skinny jeans and threw them at the brunette before waltzing over to the girl’s dresser. She rummaged through the various t-shirts before reaching a crop top. “Wear this. You look good in it, and it’s something you actually wear, unlike whatever that is,” she gestured at an ugly pea green colored floor-length skirt that Waverly wasn’t exactly sure how it had come into her possession. She knew she hadn’t paid for such a thing, but she also knew that none of her friends had such bad taste that they would have given it to her as a gift. Perhaps Wynonna had gotten it for her as a joke, but it wasn’t like the elder Earp to spend money on useless gifts. She shuddered and hoped that if the ugly skirt had come from her sister that it hadn’t been something she nabbed from someone’s trash. She made a mental note to throw the skirt out as soon as she got back from her date. Not date, she corrected.

“I’m still mad at you,” Waverly grunted, shimmying into the jeans and stopping her inner-monologue. Chrissy made eye-contact with her through the mirror and had the decency to look chided, “but, I would be totally freaking out right now if it weren’t for you so I guess you’re a smidge off the hook.”

“Waves, I was never on the hook. You had a problem. I found a solution. Unless you come up with a better one then don’t complain.”

She huffed and crossed her arms. “I don’t even know what she looks like. I’m going to walk in and just ask the barista if a girl had come in that looked like an escort? Or do I sit at a table with a book that she recognizes? This is beginning to sound like a horrible romantic comedy. You know I hate those,” she rambled, earning her an amused look from Chrissy.

“Relax,” she placed her hands on Waverly’s shoulders, “this isn’t a romantic comedy. You aren’t going to fall hopelessly in love with this girl. You two might even decide that this isn’t going to work. I don’t know how much she wants to be paid,” at this Waverly groaned, “but, I do know that this is the best plan for having a significant other to take home to Purgatory that isn’t a sleazeball you found in some bar. For what it’s worth, I don’t think Wynonna would be upset if you just told her the truth.” At this Waverly flung herself onto her bed like the ingenue of a romance novel, or more accurately, a teenager whose mother had told them they were grounded. “And you think I’m dramatic? Okay, sure,” she heard Chrissy mutter under her breath. “Also, you and I both know that you love romcoms.”

“Oh my God!” Waverly shot up from the bed causing Chrissy to drop the tube of lipstick of Waverly’s that she had been looking at.

“What the hell, Waverly,” Chrissy growled out.

“Hypothetically let’s say that I take Nicole up on this offer-”

“Technically, Nicole gets the final say in this but go off I guess,” Chrissy interrupted.

“-but what is my family going to do if I bring home a girl? They’re going to think I’m a lesbian! They’re going to think me and this girl do things together,” Waverly continued to ramble. “Oh God! The jokes that Wynonna is going to-”

“WAVERLY,” Chrissy shouted, “calm down. Tell them you're bisexual? Tell them you just fell in love with Nicole, I don’t know. Do you honestly think your sister or Gus will care?” Waverly shook her head. “Besides, as soon as you come back just say that you and Nicole broke up. You’ll date men for the rest of your life and they’ll forget about the firetruck that was Nicole!”

Out of everything Waverly had just heard, all she could manage was a confused, “firetruck?”

“Yeah, you know, because of her hair?” Waverly’s cocked head reminded Chrissy of the various dog videos she had watched of puppies hearing weird noises.

Huh. She has red hair, Waverly thought to herself. She hadn’t given much thought to what Nicole would look like (why would it matter, Waverly was straight), but she hadn’t pictured a woman with red hair being an option.

“-okay, I’m gonna go now,” Chrissy slowly rambled, pointing at the bedroom door. “You’ve got thirty minutes to get there, babe.”

~~~

She had managed to get to the coffee shop with ten minutes to spare. Ordering her usual tea, she made her way to the books and grabbed her usual-a non-fiction explaining the intricacies of the Wild West. She had always been fascinated with the history of it considering the fact that she was related to the famed Wyatt Earp, but none of her family members shared the excitement that she held. In fact, she was almost certain that there was some sort of memorabilia for her to go through in Gus’ attic that had collected an ungodly amount of dust due to its lack of seeing daylight.

She plopped down at her usual quirky table and opened the book to the last page she had read on her previous coffee trip and began to skim the pages. She thanked Rosita, who brought her tea out with a vegan pastry that she hadn’t ordered, and smiled gingerly while taking a sip of the drink, “you always know exactly how I like my tea, Rosie,” she added.

“I know my customers,” Rosita shrugged. “Let me or one of the other guys working know if you need something.” Waverly nodded before glancing at her watch. Nicole, whoever she was, was running late.

“The Wild West, eh,” a distinctly feminine voice interrupted. Waverly looked up, not knowing what to expect. She was met with expressive brown eyes and dimples that could have convinced her to rob a bank. The girl was wearing a Toronto Raptors ball cap, and Waverly wondered if she was supposed to know who they were and what sport they played. “I can’t say I know much about it. Except for this video game my best friend is always playing. It’s a whole thing where he wears a cowboy hat the entire time,” she grimaced awkwardly.

“I’m just fascinated by it all,” Waverly explained with a smile. It wasn’t often that she got to ramble about her likes and dislikes. Chrissy never enjoyed hearing about her scholastic endeavors. “No cowboy hats involved, however.”

“That’s a shame,” the girl smiled and Waverly found herself blushing slightly. “Mind if I take a seat,” the girl pointed at the chair across from her.

“Actually I’m meeting someone,” Waverly frowned. Mystery girl bit her lip and looked down, “but you can sit here until they show up?” She found that she couldn’t deny this person a request.

“Why the Wild West,” she questioned again, fingers pointing at the book in Waverly’s hands.

“Actually, I’m related to a lawman from back then,” Waverly explained, “so it stemmed from that. I just really enjoy researching and reading. Anything I can get my hands on, I enjoy.”

“I’m sure you do,” the Raptors fan husked and Waverly panicked. What was going on?

“Cappuccino for Nicole,” a deep voice shouted from the register and Waverly tore her gaze away from the stranger that had been talking to her.

“I’ll be back,” the girl, no, Nicole stated before pulling her cap off and dropping it onto the table.

Fire engine red, Waverly repeated over and over like a mantra, remembering Chrissy’s vague description from earlier. How had she not noticed that the doe-eyed, dimpled woman was her date?! Well, not date, Waverly reminded herself.

She had to admit that the redhead was absolutely stunning. Even in just her black skinny jeans and the blueish-gray flannel shirt, she looked, in Waverly’s opinion, nice. The word sexy floated around in the back of her mind, but she wasn’t attracted to women so she didn’t exactly know why that thought had presented itself.

“So, correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m guessing the famed lawman you mentioned is Wyatt Earp?”

“Huh,” Waverly startled, realizing that Nicole had come back at some point and was seated in the chair across from her again.

“Your famous relative? Wyatt Earp?”

“Yes!” She all but shouted. She then shut the book and fidgeted with a ring on her finger. She was nervous, definitely nervous. Who wouldn’t be if they found themselves in this situation? Before she could spiral any further, she felt soft, warm hands placed gently over hers, calming her almost instantly.

“Don’t be nervous. We’re just here to get to know each other, Waves, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about you from Jeremy. Actually,” she took a quick sip of her drink and smiled, leaving Waverly mesmerized and wondering how good a cappuccino could actually be. “I met Chrissy. She was, uh,” at this Nicole shrugged her shoulders and chuckled a bit.

“Chrissy is a shit. You can say it,” she retorted in a matter-of-fact manner, earning her a laugh from the redhead. She noticed that when Nicole laughed particularly hard, her face and the tips of her ears would match the shade of hair.

It was adorable, in a completely platonic way.

“Tell me about the situation,” Nicole questioned. And that was how Waverly found herself opening up to a complete stranger about small details that surrounded her family. She wasn't going to completely tell Nicole every sordid detail, but the bare minimum? She could do that. She explained the turbulent past that she had with Wynonna: how she had essentially grown up without a sister.

“Look, I’m not going to try and tell you that I understand,” Nicole took a bite from a sandwich she had ordered after they hit their two-hour mark at the cafe, “but my parents won’t even talk to me. Sometimes your family are the people that choose to be there for you. Not out of obligation. But because they want to be there for you.” Nicole shrugged. “You’re clearly an amazing person, Waverly, even if you lied about your dating life,” she snickered. “The fact that you’ve been through so much and didn’t come out of the situation cold and callous? Seems pretty incredible to me.”

She instantly felt the tears beginning to form and grabbed at a napkin that had been placed at the table for Nicole. In her haste, she knocked over her cup of water and watched as the drink spilled all down her shirt and the front of her pants. “I didn’t know-

“Shut it,” Waverly instantly retorted, knowing that the redhead was going to say something stupid by the twinkling of her eyes.

Holding her hands up in defeat, Nicole scooted her chair back and stood up. “I’m going to get you some more napkins, alright?” Waverly nodded.

So far Nicole had exceeded her every hope. Jeremy and Chrissy has really come through for her, but she wouldn’t be letting them know that. If she were to be honest with herself, Nicole seemed like a person that she could be genuinely good friends with. Maybe something good would come out of the entire ordeal after all.

“Here you go, ma’am,” Nicole attempted a southern drawl while handing her the napkins she had acquired and then tipped her ballcap in a way that Waverly assumed was meant to replicate a cowboy and his hat.

“You’re cute,” she found herself stating. Instantly wishing that she could take the words and shove them back in her mouth, she began to panic. “I mean, objectively speaking. You’re cute. Not in a weird way. It’s like a dog.”

Nicole scoffed, “I’m like a dog to you?”

“No,” Waverly instantly shouted, earning a few stares from the other people in the shop. “No, you’re just cute like a puppy. You know? They’re adorable and you want to just hug them.”

“So you want to hug me because I’m adorable?” Nicole smirked.

“Horse pucky,” Waverly mumbled. Dropping her face into her hands and inhaling deeply. Before she had time to compose herself and start again, Nicole was laughing.

“I’m just messing with you, Waves,” Nicole reached across and grabbed at her hands, making sure to pull them away from her face.

“That’s the second time you’ve called me that, you know,” she grinned. Chrissy and Wynonna were the only people who ever called her that, and them saying her name didn't have the same effect as Nicole.

“I’m sorry,” Nicole began to apologize but stopped when Waverly shushed her.

“It’s nice,” was the only explanation given. She bit at her lip and scratched at her arm lightly. They had spent the entire afternoon together and hadn’t touched on the subject matter they most needed to. “Should we talk about why you’re actually here,” Waverly offered with a sheepish look.

“Jeremy gave me the basic information. You’ve given me some background info. This was just a way for me to make sure that we had some sort of chemistry to base the relationship on. Think of it as a screen test,” Nicole explained. It left her a tad bit confused however-

“Why is chemistry important? If you’re getting paid to do a job then why do you care if the relationship is believable?” She felt herself getting worked up for some unknown reason and prayed that she didn’t word vomit everywhere. “And can I ask why you actually do this? It seems archaic and beneath you.” She didn’t really know Nicole. Not at all, really. But she could tell by the clench of the redhead’s jaw that she had angered her.

“Archaic and beneath me,” she scoffed, “okay, Waverly, whatever you say.” She felt stupid and embarrassed at this point but didn’t want to say anything for fear of offending Nicole even further. She watched as Nicole pulled her cellphone out of her pocket-the first time either of them had even looked at a phone during the entire meeting. “Jeremy said you had to be at work pretty soon so I’m just going to go. I hope you have a good evening,” she stood up and grabbed at her cap before throwing it haphazardly on her head.

“Nicole, wait,” she stood up after realizing that Nicole was, essentially, walking out on her. She couldn’t blame her, but she really didn’t want things to end on such a sour note. “Of course,” she muttered to herself after realizing that Nicole wasn’t coming back. “You really stepped in it this time,” she groaned before deciding to look at her own phone for the time. “Oh crap, I’m going to be late!” She ran out the door, leaving her book and teacup on the table. She felt quite bad about it, actually. She was usually good about cleaning up after herself, but she was in a hurry.

It wasn’t until she collided with something hard that she realized she had, in a sense, ran someone over. “Oh god, I’m so sorry,” she bent over to offer her hand to the stranger only to meet familiar brown eyes.

“Way to kick someone when they’re down,” Nicole grabbed at Waverly’s hand and let the smaller girl pull her to her feet. “I was tying my shoes. You couldn’t have gotten me on my back otherwise,” she challenged and again, Waverly felt as though she were going to combust-whether from embarrassment or something else, she didn’t know.

“Nicole, I’m so, so sorry. I’m an idiot. Can we please do this over?” The redhead rolled her eyes but the dimpled grin was all Waverly needed to know that she hadn’t messed things up between them in an unrepairable manner.

“Sure,” she dusted herself off before pulling the phone out of her pocket. After inspecting it (Waverly assumed to make sure it hadn’t broken after her fall), she handed it over. “Put your number in.” After handing the phone back to Nicole with her digits input, she felt her own phone vibrate in her back pocket. “Now you’ve got my number. Call me,” she winked before turning on her heel and walking off.

“Miss, are you okay,” an elderly woman grabbed at her wrist. “You’ve just been standing here for fifteen minutes.”

“Sorry,” she laughed. Oh God, kill me now, she thought to herself. “I was daydreaming,” she snorted. “Yeah, thinking about all the things I have to do today. Got sidetracked. I mean, I have to go to work, and then I have to call Nicole. Oh no,” she grabbed the older woman’s hands and squeezed. “Work! I’m so late. Bye!”

“That girl is not quite right,” the woman spoke to no-one in particular before shuffling back inside the store she had been in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you guys have a Tumblr then come follow me so I can have more people to follow. Superstitious-pigeons over there lol. I'm a forensic psychologist so the name is a play on a study, I'm not just a complete weirdo. Well, too much of one. Anyway, I hope you lovely people have a good week!


	3. Chapter III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly and Nicole attempt to hang out like normal people. It doesn't work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, sorry, sorry that it took so long. My grandfather passed away (as terrible as it sounds, I wasn't close to him so I'm okay) but my mother was a wreck and I had to pretty much drive her two hours to a hospital and back home every single day for like a month before he actually passed away...so I've just been busy.
> 
> Anyway, hope you guys enjoy! It's been a blast writing these idiots, that's for sure.

Waverly had spent her entire shift thinking over the events that had transpired earlier during the day. The coffee date with Nicole had been awkward, pleasantly enjoyable, and then completely ruined thanks to Waverly’s foot-in-mouth syndrome. Nicole was nothing like what Waverly had envisioned. The tall, lanky redhead was kind of adorable. She was also kind of cocky.

Still, she was worried that Wynonna wouldn’t remotely fall for the farce. Even if Nicole was someone that she could envision herself spending time with, it didn’t mean that they could fool anyone into thinking they were a real couple. Waverly assumed that Nicole could probably get any girl that she wanted. She had been suave and awfully charming at their last meeting. Not only did she worry what Wynonna (she didn’t even want to think about the rest of Purgatory’s opinion at the moment) would think about her “dating” a girl…but why would a girl like Nicole choose to date a girl like her? It wouldn’t remotely be believable.

Wringing her fingers together, she took a deep breath and then knocked lightly on the door in front of her. Hopefully she had gotten herself to the correct dorm room, otherwise it was going to be _really_ freaking awkward for whoever answered.

What she hadn’t expected was Nicole Haught in a pair of gym shorts and a sports bra with what was either water, or sweat, trickling down the crevices and planes of her smooth skin. “Uh-

“Waves, you’re a little early,” she stepped back from the door and smiled, “come on in though. I hope the directions were easy to follow?”

How long had she been gawking from the doorway? She willed her feet to take a step into the dorm room and out of the hallway. Had she had a stroke? “I-

“Are you okay?” Nicole finally questioned upon realizing the brunette was still standing in the hall. That essentially did the trick and Waverly found herself following Nicole into the dorm.

“Sorry. Long night,” she explained while clasping her hands together. If Nicole caught on to the fact that she was nervous, she didn’t show it.

“I get that,” Nicole fired back. “Just got out of practice. I thought I would have time to shower before you got here, but,” she shrugged. She watched from the corner of her eye as she dug through a pile of clothes and grabbed at a tank top she must had previously had on. “Sorry about the mess…and lack of decorations,” she added while pointing at the bland walls.

Waverly had to admit that the lack of décor was kind of startling. She had always thought that you could find out a lot about a person by the things they chose to show off in their homes. Clearly a dorm room wasn’t exactly a home, but they were still allowed to personalize them. All she found in Nicole’s room besides the bed and dresser that came standard to the room was a basketball schedule on the wall opposite of the bed and a mini fridge with a rainbow magnet.

“You don’t have a roommate,” she stated before gesturing at the chair set up by the desk, silently asking Nicole if she could sit there. Nicole nodded and Waverly found herself plopping down. While waiting for Nicole to respond she looked over the desktop. A laptop that seemed to be held together with duct tape and prayers was stashed in the corner while some notes scribbled in Latin were before her. “Latin?” She quickly looked up at Nicole who had perched herself on her bed.

“No roommate _anymore_ ,” she offered without any explanation, but the grimace provided was enough for Waverly to assume there was a story behind that. “And Latin for one of my classes. I’m kind of struggling with it, honestly. Who knew a dead language would be so hard, huh?” Waverly snorted.

“I could,” she started before clearing her throat. “I could, uh, help you with that…if you needed?” At this Nicole’s stare turned into a look of wonder.

“Holy shit, Waverly, that would…that would really help me out, actually. Basketball practice keeps me so busy, and that hunk of junk,” she gestured at the laptop, “takes more time to load than it’s worth so I kind of just try my best at the library.” She found that the look of pure excitement on Nicole’s face was contagious.

“It’s nothing,” she began to look through Nicole’s notes and found herself getting excited. She didn’t have any friends that were interested in her world history studies and research so to have someone in her life that not only understood her interests but was welcoming her help in teaching them what she knew? It was a feeling she hadn’t gotten to feel much in her life.

“Waverly, it’s not ‘nothing’,” Nicole stated, reaching across the desk to grab Waverly’s hand that had begun looking through the notes. “It means a lot.” She expected Nicole’s hands to feel rough and calloused against hers. She wasn’t sure why she had expected it, but to feel the warm, soft skin of Nicole’s palm pressed against her hand was soothing. “Oh,” Nicole quickly jumped to her feet and headed to the mini-fridge. “Want something? I have water, uh Gatorade, and some vegan string cheese that I keep for Jeremy.”

“Ooh,” Waverly gawked before realizing what she had done. She had only started her journey into veganism upon starting college and taking an elective that had turned her off of meat and dairy instantly; however, she had never had vegan string cheese. “Some water would be nice,” she stated but the knowing look Nicole gave her made her add on the, “and the string cheese.”

“Sure thing,” Nicole opened the fridge and pulled out a blue colored Gatorade, a bottle of water, and two string cheeses. “Enjoy,” the redhead offered with a cheeky grin.

Daintily, she pulled the wrapper from the string cheese and took a bite. Upon realizing that there was an awkward silence, she looked up to find Nicole staring at her with what looked to be disgust on her face.

“What. The. Hell.” Waverly’s head-tilted, unsure exactly of what she had managed to do wrong in a matter of seconds. “What kind of monster are you?” Nicole gasped. Upon realizing that Waverly was probably on the verge of some sort emotional meltdown she began to laugh. “You peel string cheese, Waves. You don’t just take a bite out of it. That’s against human nature.”

“You shit. You genuinely had me thinking that I had done something wrong.” With that she took another hearty bite out of the string cheese and ignored the offended look Nicole was throwing her way.

“Babe, that is the very definition of wrong,” Nicole easily shot back and grinned smugly upon seeing Waverly choke over the term of endearment. “If you react like that to having a pet name from your girlfriend then I don’t think your sister is going to be too impressed with me,” she added before taking a sip of her sports drink.

Blushing, Waverly put the remainder of the string cheese down and cleared her throat. “How do we do this, Nicole? I’ve never been in this position before.” The redhead bit her lip, obviously trying to keep from laughing but at what? She didn’t know.

“Well, I have a binder with all of my information. You can just memorize what you want to learn about me, and we go from there,” Nicole chuckled at the bemused expression Waverly was certain she was wearing. “Of course, you’ll have to fill out your own paperwork so I can become an expert on all things Waverly Earp,” she prattled. “I’m kidding, Waverly, jeez,” she laughed. “This isn’t some Hallmark movie. I just go home to meet your family. We pretend we’re dating. Simple as that, eh?”

“Sure,” she crossed her arms over her chest and sighed, “simple as that.”

~~~

A few hours had passed that allowed Waverly to get more comfortable in the presence of Nicole Haught, but if she were being honest with herself (and she wasn’t) she had been fairly comfortable with Nicole almost five minutes into their first meeting. The girl knew exactly what to do to keep Waverly grounded.

She didn’t consider herself to be high-strung by any means (no matter what Chrissy had told her on numerous occasions) but it was rare that she felt so relaxed and carefree, especially considering the fact that the situation she had gotten herself into was anything but. Still, Nicole had a soothing effect on her. Whereas Waverly could often find herself overly-anxious or severely restless, Nicole was a comforting balm that could mellow and ease her into a calmer headspace. It was…bizarre.

Nicole had finally opted to go take a shower, leaving Waverly in the dorm room alone. She stood up from the bed (at some point she had migrated to Nicole’s side-she hadn’t even remembered doing it) and went back over to the desk. She found a picture of Nicole smiling with a group of girls, all in uniform, (and clearly the basketball team). She picked the picture up and ran her fingers over the redhead’s tall frame. Something about the basketball uniform really made her appreciate how good-looking Nicole actually was. She gently put the picture back down onto the oak desk. She then traced the Latin words that Nicole had highlighted from what seemed to be some sort of law book and sighed.

“Ugh, we’re back on Latin again,” she heard from behind her. She quickly turned around and fought the urge to instinctively cover her eyes. “Oh, sorry,” Nicole stated, suspiciously not sounding sorry at all. “I forget that not everyone has seen me in a towel.”

“What..what does that mean?” Waverly found herself asking, unsure of why she felt the need for clarification.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head,” she retorted and mimed covering her eyes. Eagerly covering her eyes AND turning around (no one could say she wasn’t chivalrous), she let Nicole go through her wardrobe. “I’m just used to having to change in front of the entire team…you kind of lose all sense of modesty,” Nicole explained.

She could smell Nicole, whether it was the shampoo or her body wash, she didn’t know-but she could smell Nicole before she had actually made the few steps across the room and plopped down on the twin bed in front of her. “We could cuddle,” she offered, arms open, matching the current state of Waverly’s mouth.

“Why would we do that?” She quickly shut her mouth and crossed her arms, not wanting Nicole to easily see how flustered she was. Especially since the redhead was now only wearing boxers and an even smaller sized tank top than the one she had been wearing previous to her shower!

“A few reasons,” she replied without missing a beat. “I like to cuddle. Do you?” Waverly really thought about the question. She had, on occasion, appreciated Champ holding her, but she generally dreaded the concept of cuddling with Champ…simply because it was never just cuddling with Champ. It always had to lead to sex with him.

“I love hugs,” she whispered while looking intently at Nicole’s desk-anywhere that wouldn’t require her to look directly at Nicole. While she had told Nicole a bit about her past and lack of a real family, she didn’t want to seem touch starved in front of someone she had only known for a matter of two days.

“Well, cuddles are kind of like hugs, no?” She looked up to find Nicole’s dimples on full display while her arms were still outstretched. “Grab your cell phone, dork. We can take a few pictures in case your sister looks through your phone. What kind of couple doesn’t have nauseatingly cute pictures together?”

“You make a valid point,” she took a few steps and sat down on the twin bed and inhaled deeply before awkwardly positioning herself into Nicole’s arms. “This is weird, Nicole,” she admitted while fumbling around self-consciously.

“Yeah. It is,” she heard from behind her. If Nicole thought it was weird then what was the point? She began to pull away but soft hands pulled her back. “But if we get the weirdness over with then by the time I meet Wynonna…we’ll have this couple thing down to a science.” With that she tugged Waverly and Waverly let herself be held.

She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she had been held by someone and the feeling was proving to be slightly overwhelming. Thankfully she was the little spoon and didn’t have to look Nicole in the eyes while they were in bed.

A few seconds, or maybe they were minutes (she honestly didn’t know) passed by before she felt fingers tracing light patterns against her clothed stomach. It was relaxing, incredibly so…and so…

 

 

“Waverly,” she heard from above her. She blinked slowly, unsure of exactly where she was and what was going on. “I let you sleep as long as I could, but I only have like fifteen minutes to make it to the cafeteria.”

“It’s okay,” she mumbled before curling back into the warm body. She vaguely registered that her arms were wrapped around Nicole’s waist while her head was tucked under Nicole’s chin. Still, as an overworked college student, she was constantly tired. The fact that her nap with Nicole had done more for her than an entire eight hours of sleep in her bed at the apartment? She easily found herself falling back asleep.

“Waaaaves,” Nicole whispered, using her right hand to draw lazy circles on the small of Waverly’s back. “I have to eat before they close,” she explained again.

“Tacos,” the brunette muttered under her breath, earning a chuckle from Nicole.

“What about tacos,” she questioned, squeezing Waverly’s side to keep her awake enough to continue her nonsensical ramblings.

“Tacos are tasty. We’ll get tacos,” she offered before drifting back asleep. Nicole rolled her eyes and ignored the growling of her stomach. Instead she grabbed at her cell phone that she had pulled off her nightstand in the middle of Waverly’s nap and opened the camera. Positioning the phone into the least awkward angle she could find, she snapped a few selfies and smiled.

She was taking them for Waverly, of course. She had fallen asleep before they had even gotten to strategize for the trip to Purgatory that loomed ahead.


	4. Chapter IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about how long it took to get this one out, but this is ten pages worth of Wayhaught so hopefully it works in earning your forgiveness.

“Do your parents have red hair?”

“Negative.”

“Grandparents?”

“Waverly,” Nicole sighed, rubbing her temples, “I don’t think your sister is going to care if you know my family gene pool.” The brunette pouted, earning an eye-roll from the auburn-haired basketball player.

“Maybe I just want to know these things about you…for my own reasons,” she proceeded to take a bite from the vegan ice cream Nicole had shown up at her apartment with. It was kind of amazing to have a friend like Nicole, she had decided after only knowing the girl for a short period of time. Never had she had someone simply stop by because they had found a vegan ice cream at the supermarket that made them think of her.

“My parents don’t have red hair. My grandfather on my dad’s side had red hair when he was younger. At least, he did in pictures. By the time I was born he was rocking the salt and pepper look,” she reached into the bag of pretzels that she had brought over for herself to snack on. “How’s the ice cream?”

At that, Waverly took the spoonful that was already touching her lips and instead directed the bite to Nicole’s mouth. It was worth it for Waverly to see the redhead sputter and cough at the action. “You don’t want to try,” she worried her bottom lip and looked at the redhead through lashes.

“Jeez, you don’t have to beg,” Nicole took the bite of ice cream, maintaining eye contact with Waverly the entire time…which should have been awkward, Waverly thought to herself, but instead made her insides twist in some sort of feeling that she couldn’t quite place. “Not bad,” Nicole finally whispered upon seeing that the shorter girl’s pupils had blown.

She couldn’t have been too certain, but she had 20/20 vision after all, and she had seen Nicole’s face move a fraction closer to hers. Almost as if she were planning to do something like-

“Waves,” Chrissy shouted, before knocking loudly on her bedroom door. Nicole instantly turned her head away and rubbed at the nape of her neck awkwardly.

She reached out and grabbed Nicole’s hand, offering a squeeze and a whispered, “sorry.”

The door swung open and Chrissy invited herself in before looking between the two. “Did I interrupt something,” she questioned with an arched eyebrow.

Waverly had been friends with Chrissy her entire life, so to say that she knew when the blonde was up to something would be an accurate and fair statement. “Chrissy,” Waverly pulled away from Nicole and stood up to meet her friend by the bedroom door, “can I talk to you outside for a second?” Without waiting for a response, she tugged at Chrissy’s wrist and pulled her out into the hallway. “I’ll be back in a minute, Nicole,” she explained.

“Jesus, Waverly, what the hell,” Chrissy snapped after being dragged into the kitchen. “I just wanted to see if you wanted to go out with me and Stephanie tonight. I didn’t know you had Officer Haught with you,” she waggled her eyebrows.

“Be quiet,” Waverly snapped, “she’s down the hall and can definitely hear you. We’re just getting to know each other. We’ve spent all week hanging out in between classes and work so that we can make this believable.”

“Well, it looks believable to me,” she muttered under her breath but not so low that Waverly couldn’t understand her. She slapped the blonde’s shoulder lightly, ignoring the smug feeling beneath the surface that was happy to hear that she and Nicole looked like a legitimate couple. “Can I quiz her? See if she actually knows anything about you at this point.”

It would be a bad idea to let Chrissy Nedley quiz someone on all things Waverly Earp-especially when the blonde was dishing out a look that Waverly had never actually seen on her best friend before. She looked _smug_ but about what? She didn’t know. “I think that’s a bad idea,” Waverly was quick to respond-only realizing that Chrissy was well on her way to Nicole and hadn’t heard anything she had said.

“Okay, Officer Haught,” she heard coming from her bedroom and sighed deeply. She needed to get into that bedroom before Chrissy somehow embarrassed Nicole, or worse, _her._ “I’m going to quiz you on our girl and see if you’re a passable significant other.”

“Nicole,” Waverly called out before running from the kitchen, down the hall, and into her own bedroom, “you do not have to do this,” she panted.

“It’s fine, Waves. I think I can handle myself,” she winked.

_Oh boy, is it hot in here_ , she questioned, feeling her face flush.

“Sure, you can, stud,” Chrissy sat down on the bed by Nicole and reached out to straighten an invisible wrinkle on the redhead’s shirt. She grabbed at her bicep before turning around to look at Waverly and giving her an approving thumbs up.

_Ground swallow me whole, please_ , she pleaded. She didn’t know what was worse: her best friend feeling up her girlfriend. _Woah, fake girlfriend_ , she quickly interrupted herself. Right, she didn’t know what was worse: her best friend feeling Nicole up, or her best friend trying to quiz them like they were on some short of couples’ game show!

“Uh, am I missing something,” Nicole finally questioned while looking at Waverly with a pleading look on her face. Probably wanting her to find a way to get rid of Chrissy because the girl was seriously making her uncomfortable-there was no telling how awkward it was making Nicole feel!

“I’ll start simple,” she looked at Nicole and smiled, “who is Waverly’s best friend?” Nicole smiled, stupid dimples and all, and Waverly thought that maybe letting Chrissy do this stupid charade of an interview wasn’t so bad after all.

“Well, I mean, I would say her girlfriend is her best friend,” she winked at Waverly again and she was certain that she could feel her face catch on fire, “ _but_ Waverly has a life outside of our relationship so that honor goes to you, Miss Nedley.”

“Ooh, she’s smooth,” Chrissy slapped at Nicole’s shoulder again-and seriously? Was she flirting with Nicole? “Do you work out a lot,” she asked, ignoring the death glare that Waverly was firing at her.

“Erm…basketball.” She looked at Waverly for some sort of direction, but all Waverly could do was stare at Nicole helplessly.

“What is Waverly’s favorite movie?”

“She doesn’t have one,” Nicole shot back. “ _And_ you can’t tell me any differently,” she nodded pointedly at the brunette.

“You’re right,” Waverly finally remarked. “I just can’t pick one. There are literally hundreds of thousands of movies. How am I to decide that?” Nicole rolled her eyes.

“When did Waverly lose her virginity?” At that Nicole’s face turned as red as the hair on her head.

“Chrissy, oh my god,” Waverly shouted, “get out,” she grabbed her ex-best friend by the shoulders and shoved her out of the bedroom.

She used the moment away from Nicole to ground herself and come up with something- _anything_ to say to Nicole that might make things less awkward. Turning around slowly, she was pleased to find Nicole staring at her worn out sneakers. She watched, enraptured, as long fingers picked at a loose outsole. “Umm, I could probably glue that back together,” Waverly offered.

“They’ve been glued before. Don’t think it makes much of a difference at this point,” Nicole kicked the shoes off and laid back against the pillows. Her socks were mismatched and the black sock on her left foot had a hole where the big toe stuck out. She continued to watch as Nicole placed her hands behind her head and sighed. “Want to cuddle,” she grinned, wiggling the toes of the worn-down sock at her.

After the evening in Nicole’s dorm room, Waverly and Nicole had found themselves cuddling anytime they were at Waverly’s apartment or Nicole’s dorm. Nicole had, unsurprisingly, been right. The more they cuddled, the less awkward it felt. At this point, it felt more right for Waverly to be held by the taller girl than it felt to sit on opposite sides of the room.

“Sixteen,” Waverly whispered, once she had found her spot in the crook of Nicole’s neck.

“Seventeen,” Nicole countered, earning her a swat on the chest. “Ow,” she whined, grabbing the hand that Waverly had slapped her with and easily lacing their fingers together.

It would have been easy to pull away from Nicole in that moment. This didn’t feel like something that friends did together-even if said friends were trying to give off the illusion of being a couple. The rational part of her brain told her that pretending she and Nicole were together behind closed doors was a dangerous game.

Instead, she brought their intertwined hands to her lips and pressed a chaste kiss against the backside of Nicole’s hand. She could feel the sharp intake of breath coming from Nicole but chose to continue with her original statement. “No, I was sixteen when I lost my virginity,” she explained.

“Waverly, that isn’t something I’m entitled to know,” Nicole replied easily.

“You’re telling me that you didn’t know this stuff about your exes,” Waverly countered but again, Nicole was quick to respond.

“Sure, I did,” she explained slowly, “but we were in committed relationships. I don’t think your sister is going to ask me when you lost your virginity,” she added to lighten the mood.

“It’s just,” Waverly started before frowning. She didn’t know how to explain what she was feeling without sounding like a moron.

“It’s just what,” Nicole began skating her fingers across the small of her back, lulling her into a sense of comfort.

“Friends know that kind of stuff about each other. Obviously, Chrissy knows. And I just thought that’s what we were?”

“You think we’re friends,” Nicole mussed. Whether she was asking a question or making a statement, Waverly didn’t know, but she felt humiliated at the realization that Nicole didn’t consider them to be friends.

It was easy to pull away from warm arms and the comfort of the bed upon being humiliated, but before she could ease herself completely away, Nicole had wrapped her arms around Waverly’s midsection and pulled her back down as though she weighed next to nothing. Perhaps it was the soft smile or the warm sincerity in her eyes that had Waverly feeling a little less humiliated. “Stop,” Nicole whispered. “I love spending time with you, but I didn’t know if you wanted to be friends in the long-run or if this was just a way to get your sister off your back. I mean, it’s going to complicate things when we break up, you know,” she offered.

“You’re right. I hadn’t thought about that,” Waverly admitted, “but it was easier for me to do this before I realized how hard it would be-

_Saved by the cell phone,_ she thought to herself as Nicole awkwardly shuffled to pull her phone from her gym shorts. “Hello,” she sighed, before getting out of the bed entirely. It was easy to look at Nicole when she was so preoccupied with something- _someone_ else. How crazy had it been that she and Nicole had ran in such close social circles and yet never actually met?

She continued to look at the girl who was pacing the floor. Clearly, she was nervous or upset about something, but she hadn’t been paying attention to the words that had been falling from (what she assumed were) soft pink lips. “Shae,” she heard Nicole groan, “Shae?”

“Is everything okay,” Waverly whispered, trying to imply that she was a caring human being but not a nosy one!

“Damnit, damnit, damnit,” Nicole cursed, throwing the phone across the room and plopping down onto the carpeted floor. “Stupid piece of junk,” she continued to rant under her breath.

“Nicole, what the crap,” Waverly scolded before going to pick up the shattered mobile device. “I didn’t know you had such a temper,” she stated, more to herself than to anyone else.

“I’m sorry.” At least she had the decency to sound embarrassed, Waverly thought to herself before plopping down on the floor beside the hotheaded basketball player. “That stupid piece of junk isn’t even worthy of being called a phone. I’m pretty sure that thing survived the sinking of the Titanic.” She rolled her eyes at her own actions and grabbed the cellphone from Waverly’s hands. “Aaand I officially killed it.”

“I have an old phone in my junk drawer. You can have it, but if you break it, you buy it,” she explained before standing up. She offered Nicole a hand and yanked, knowing that it was going to take some serious (wo)manpower to bring the girl up to her feet.

“I’m just tired of everything sucking,” she pouted. To Waverly’s delight, Nicole embraced her from behind, using her height to her advantage. Assuming it would be rude to simply stand there awkwardly, Waverly grabbed the arms around her waist and pulled them tighter and simply enjoyed being held.

After standing there for what could have been hours, she remembered that Nicole had been upset and thought back on what had been said. Waverly gently pulled away and turned around to look into warm caramel eyes, “what’s wrong?”

“Do you want the short version, the long version, or the version that doesn’t make me sound like a pathetic loser?”

“Okay, nope.” She walked to the corner of her room and slid her shoes back on before heading to the doorway. “Put your shoes on. We’re going out,” she stated with no further explanation.

~

“This is a nice spot.”

Waverly would have rolled her eyes had that not been the first thing Nicole had said in almost thirty minutes.  She had shuffled along behind Waverly for most of the walk, only deciding to share the sidewalk about five minutes from their destination. It was probably the first time in the past few days that Waverly honestly had had feelings of animosity towards the redhead.

“You’re being extremely annoying,” was her response. It was worth it to see the “fish out of water” look that Nicole expressed immediately afterwards. “It’s true! You come over and you’re all sweet with the ice cream and the puppy dog eyes.”

“I-

“No, don’t interrupt me. You’re all sweet and want to cuddle while we talk about nothing important, but then you get a phone call and you’re upset. That’s fine. But you literally throw your phone across the room like that’s normal behavior. Then you have the nerve to ignore me!” She finished her lecture with a hard poke to the chest. _That ought to show her_.

“I know-

“No, I don’t think you do,” she huffed. “That kind of behavior reminds me of Champ Hardy.” And while the insult should have stung, Waverly realized that Nicole didn’t know her meathead of an ex-boyfriend.

“The rodeo clown,” she heard whispered from beside her.

“He wasn’t a rodeo clo-,” _why was she trying to defend him?_ “Yes, the rodeo clown,” she settled with. “How do you know him? We haven’t talked about our exes yet.” She chanced a glance at Nicole and then felt like an utter ass. Not only did the human embodiment of a puppy dog look like a sad and kicked puppy, she was… _is she crying?_

“Waves, I’m sorry,” Nicole finally offered but still refused to make eye contact. Instead, she watched as the taller girl picked at a scab on her hand before fiddling with the ponytail holder that had been on her wrist. It was probably a nervous tick, but Waverly couldn’t help but feel bad about kicking the girl when she was obviously down.

She looked around the empty park that she had brought Nicole to and sighed. The sun wasn’t quite at its setting point, but it was at a place in the sky that made the blues and oranges bleed together in a way that took her breath away. The pond in front of them was calm except for a few ducks that were enjoying a lazy afternoon in peace. She then looked at Nicole, who had put her hair up into a ponytail at this point and was staring off into the distance.

“You’re sorry,” she repeated. “Why?”

“I don’t have a bad temper. Not usually, anyway.” A shrug. “It’s just, things haven’t been great lately, you know.” Nicole picked at a few blades of grass and sighed. She was obviously enjoying being outside. She was breathing in the breeze that was prickling their skin and smiling each time the wind blew a piece of Waverly’s hair out of place. “If you want us to be friends, _really_ be friends then you ought to know the bad things too.” She exhaled dramatically before falling back onto the grass.

Following suit, Waverly had to admit that their positions echoed those of a romantic couple, but she was almost certain that friends could enjoy their afternoons together in a park, lying beside each other and brushing the occasional pinkie together. “I’m not sure there’s much you could say that would make me change my mind about the kind of person that you are,” she offered before accepting Nicole’s hand into her own.

“I’m so poor, Waverly,” Nicole laughed. “I mean, what college kid isn’t, right? But I’m here,” she gestured around the general area, “because I was good enough at basketball in high school to earn a mediocre scholarship. If I’m being honest-I couldn’t give a shit about playing.”

Nicole was slowly unraveling and whether Waverly was prepared for the girl to lay herself open emotionally or not, there was no going back at this point. In the future, she would look back on this moment and realize that it was the first time she genuinely saw Nicole Haught for the person that she absolutely was: a girl that had spent her entire life seeking love and validation in places that didn’t matter and people whose feelings were conditional.

“I’m embarrassed,” she finally added as an afterthought. “You thought I was a prostitute or something the first time we met… in the coffee shop.” That had felt like a lifetime ago to Waverly even though it had been a week at the most. How time seemed to fly when you were enjoying your day to day adventures as opposed to just swimming through the motions. “My shoes are literally falling apart,” she pointed to the shoe that Waverly had offered to glue back together earlier in the day, “you saw my laptop. I think I’d have more luck carving essays in hieroglyphics than I do using the word processor on that thing.”

“There’s nothing wrong with not having money, Nicole,” she finally replied. “My daddy was a drunk who spent all of his money on booze and my mom ran out on us. We all have things we’re ashamed of.”

Nicole rolled onto her side and propped her head up with her hand. Despite the fact that she had to originally let go of Waverly’s hand to get into the new position, she quickly reached out and reconnected them. “I don’t talk about this much, but you’re somethin’ else, Waverly.”

_Are these what butterflies are supposed to feel like?_ Her stomach was fluttering, but she hadn’t ever really experienced the whole “butterflies in the stomach” sensation while dating Champ. With that thought alone, she realized that it couldn’t be butterflies. Not when it was just Nicole that was lying in front of her.

“My parents, uh, they actually didn’t have a problem with me being gay,” she started, much to Waverly’s confusion. Surely her parents being accepting of her sexuality was a good sign. “They’re kind of…I guess modern day hippies? They’re very anti-war, anti-military, anti-guns. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with feeling that way, but…they actually threatened to kick me out in high school when I first told them I was interested in a career with the police force.”

That admission itself blew Waverly away. Immediately she felt an anger boiling within her veins that she didn’t know could exist. What kind of parent was willing to kick their child out-period? But over a career choice as noble as the one that Nicole wanted?

“Ridiculous,” was all that Waverly could offer.

“Yeah,” Nicole chuckled. “Anyway, I knew that some schools were interested in me through basketball. I also knew that my parents were going to disown me when I went through with everything and majored in criminal justice. So…I kind of put everything I had into being a good enough basketball player. I guess it worked. I had a few schools offer scholarships.”

“And you chose here, why?”

“If you’re wanting some sort of philosophical answer, I don’t have one,” she smiled. “They offered a full-ride. The rest of the schools didn’t. I can’t say that I’m not happy about it. At least _now_ , anyway,” she bit her lip.

Waverly couldn’t honestly say that the look Nicole was giving her wasn’t making her feel _things_ that she shouldn’t be feeling, but the truth of the matter was that Nicole was nothing short of amazing. She had just as much of a bad family history as she did, and yet, she persevered-just as Waverly had.

A thought presented itself to Waverly, and since she had no qualms about asking questions whenever she wanted answers, she did the only logical thing there was to do. “Why go to school at all then? You don’t have to have a college degree to be a cop, right? My ex-boyfriend definitely didn’t go to school, and he’s tried several times…”

“You know, I really want to see this guy. I know you didn’t tell me about him. I kind of…snooped on Chrissy’s social media the other day when Jeremy told me that Chrissy had a friend that was interested in my services,” she waggled her eyebrows and snorted at the glare Waverly sent back at her. “Anyway, I saw a post she tagged you in recently talking about douche ex-boyfriends and his name was mentioned.”

“Yeah,” Waverly drew out the word and sighed. “Chrissy was never the biggest fan of Hardy James. Looking back, I can see why. You’ll probably get to meet him though. I doubt he’s made it out of Purgatory.”

“Obviously not,” Nicole replied. “I heard it takes a while to get out of those levels of hell.”

“Nicole, that was a horrible joke. Oh my God!” She slapped the redhead’s chest who was laughing hysterically at her own joke. “Legitimately cringeworthy. Stop laughing!”

She finally took a deep breath and stopped cackling at her own joke (which again, was not funny) before yawning. “To answer your question, college was the best option because I wouldn’t be homeless. Free room and board if I dribble a ball, right? I figured that while I was here, I would get a job and save up enough to go to the academy once I graduated.”

“Well, obviously that didn’t work out if you’re charging me a thousand dollars for this!” It was Nicole’s turn to roll her eyes.

“When the _hell_ did I say that? If I were charging that much, then I would hope you were getting sexual favors or something out of it. Jesus,” she screeched. “I’m not a call girl. Damn, Waverly!”

Even though the sun was beginning to go down at that point, Waverly could feel her cheeks burning. Images that she didn’t want to see were appearing in her mind. Nicole kissing her. Of Nicole doing… _sexual favors_ as she called it. She cleared her throat and prayed that she didn’t look like some dirty minded teenager whose filthy thoughts were running amok in her brain. “Chrissy said-

“And you believed her? No, wait,” Nicole rolled away from Waverly and sat up, using the power dynamic to lean over Waverly, “do you seriously just have that kind of money saved up somewhere? Because I’m more than willing to be your sugar baby.

_Bad images. Horrible images._

“Waverly, I’m kidding. Calm down. Seventy-five bucks and we can call it even, alright? Most people that I do this for, I don’t even like spending time with. I’m not going to have you go bankrupt so that Wynonna thinks you’re dating someone.”

Refusing to meet Nicole’s eyes, she sighed, “I’ll tell you what.” A beat. “I have a car in Purgatory. It’s a Jeep that hasn’t run in years. If you’re convincing enough then it’s yours. Sell it for parts. Or maybe someone will want to buy it as it is. I don’t have good memories associated with it so I don’t feel bad parting with it.”

“Jesus, Waves, I couldn’t.” And she knew that Nicole wasn’t an idiot. She knew that the college student had a few hundred dollars to go before even being close to admissions to the police academy and that this Jeep would more than cover the cost. Still, she knew that Nicole wouldn’t want a handout.

“Nicole, the thing stays locked in a barn. With the amount of dust and creepy-crawlies you’ll have to go through just to see the thing?” She visibly shook, imagining the state of the barn that hadn’t been used in almost twenty years. “So, I’m going to keep my money and you can take the hunk of junk. I _don’t_ want it. Not now. Not ever.”

She felt slim fingers squeezing her hand in what was meant to be a comforting act. But all she could really think about was going back to Purgatory to visit her sister. Doubts came creeping in, filling her mind with insecurities and uncertainties. She didn’t even really know Wynonna anymore, not really. Why was she going through all this trouble for her?

Interrupting her emotional rampage, she heard Nicole’s whispered “hey,” and another gentle squeeze of her hand. “I don’t know what you’re freaking out about over there, but I promise it’s going to be alright.”

“You don’t even know me, Nicole,” she whispered into the chilly evening. She felt the goosebumps erupt over her skin and knew that their day together was effectively over.

“I may not know everything about you, Waverly, but you’re pretty amazing.” She finally gathered up the nerve to look at Nicole, but she had stood up from their spot. _Great, you’ve made her mad…_ “And what I _do know_ is that you’re upset about something _and_ you’re getting cold. So, I’m going to walk you back to your apartment, alright?”

~~

“This is you,” Nicole shuffled awkwardly at the front door of the apartment. “I’ve got to get back to the dorm actually. I’ve got to pack a bag for Purgatory.” Then she laughed. “I’m not getting over the fact that you grew up somewhere named Purgatory, Waverly,” and just like that, Waverly felt all the tension from her previous meltdown wash away.

“The name is appropriate. You’ll see,” she offered back with the barest hint of a smile. Seeing that glimmer of hope in Waverly was enough to have the redhead brandishing her own mega-watt smile, dimples and all.

“Waverly, I’m sorry about…well…everything today. I was a jerk. Then I overstepped. You’re right, I don’t know a lot about you, but what I do know? Well, it’s enough to make me want to stick around in your life for a while. Someday I’ll have the honor of knowing a shit ton of things about you…If I don’t mess this up.”

“Nicole…”

“I’m not good at having friends, Waverly, but I really want to be. For you.”

So many emotions. Too many emotions. She felt like an asshole for being so rude to the girl in front of her, but at the same time she couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so free and seen. She had walls up to protect herself from being hurt again after her own family broke her heart, but Nicole was easily chipping the walls down and making her want to be vulnerable.

Somehow, she had picked someone with just as many, if not more, walls built than she herself had. There was something to be said for how badly she wanted to get to know Nicole just as much.

“Take the damn phone,” Waverly grumbled, pulling the old cellphone of hers out of her back pocket that she had meant to hand over after Nicole had demolished her own. “Text me when you get back.” She wanted to roll her eyes at the confused look Nicole was sending her way but instead she reached up on her tiptoes and planted the barest of kisses against the corner of Nicole’s lips.

Before mortification could set in, she unlocked the door and shut it in Nicole’s face. Her heart was beating in overtime and she was slightly worried she was having a heart attack but before she could truly worry about it, she heard Nicole’s dazed “whoa” from the other side of the door…

…and just like that, things started to feel okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed. Next time we're going to meet Wynonna so that ought to be fun. Are any of you guys going to Earp Expo? I'd love to meet you! Hit me up on [twitter](https://twitter.com/mmetcalfe91) if you are!


	5. Chapter V

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Earp Expo was amazing but then I was in a funk for a bit because I felt like I was leaving behind family. Anyway, hopefully the chapter after this is much better. I just felt like I needed to get something out for you guys.

Every year since sophomore year of college, Nicole had found herself needing somewhere to stay for the duration of spring break due to the ridiculous dorm policy that required students to leave campus for the week. While she had intended on staying with Jeremy and Robin this year, she found herself currently packing for the trip to Purgatory. Well, she _kind of_ packed. She had thrown a few items of clothes into a bag before Waverly had scoffed and dumped everything out of the bag and started over.

She supposed an intelligent person would have looked up Purgatory to get an idea on the weather. Did she need to pack shorts and tank tops? Or would she still need to frequent jeans and jackets for a spring chill? She looked up from her computer (and she used that term loosely) and smiled at Waverly. Waverly, who was dancing around the dorm room and packing things for Nicole simultaneously.

“Waves,” she found herself calling out to the angelic beauty. It was one of the lower moments of her life, starting to fall for a straight girl who was using her as a romantic partner to make a sister feel better about themselves? She wasn’t 100% on everything that was going on with Waverly and her sister. She knew enough to know that her mother ran off and that her father and eldest sister had been killed years ago. She also knew that, despite what Waverly had told her, the girl wanted to impress Wynonna as well with everything she had accomplished. So, Nicole was going to do what she did best. She was going to help show this “Wynonna Earp” that Waverly was the most amazing person out there, and that she should be grateful to be back in her life.

“What,” Waverly’s voice interrupted her thoughts. Deciding to shut down the laptop, she stood up from her desk and made her way over to the brunette.

“Whatcha doing over here?”

“Would you be really mad at me if I said I was being nosy and going through this old mp3 player of yours?”

At that, Nicole looked at the device that Waverly was holding and sighed, “I wouldn’t be mad,” she muttered before holding her hand out to take the device from Waverly.

“Who is S.P.,” she asked while tracing the outlines of the inscription on the back of the iPod.

“Nobody,” Nicole quickly replied, not wanting to go into further detail. “Keep looking. There should be a dock in there. We can plug this baby up and see what’s on it. Since you’re feeling nosy and all,” she joked.

She watched as Waverly shuffled through what Nicole considered her junk drawer and bit her lip to hold back a full-fledged smile at the excited, “a-ha,” that came from below. It was in that moment that she felt as though she had made a _huge_ mistake. Waverly had bent over to reach behind the bedside table to plug in the device, leaving nothing but smooth silky skin on view for Nicole to stare at.

It was almost as though the girl was flawless. Seriously. Nicole couldn’t find a single flaw within this being’s body. Surely, Waverly had to be some sort of Greek goddess? A demigod? She didn’t know what Waverly had done to not only be the most physically stunning person alive but also the most kind-hearted and caring?

She then noticed that she had been caught staring. No longer was Waverly bent over Nicole’s nightstand and instead deep gray eyes were boring into her own brown ones. She could feel her cheeks light on fire and immediately prayed to whatever lesbian Jesus was out there that she would just fall over dead right then and there.

She didn’t want Waverly to think she was just some predatory lesbian that couldn’t keep it in her pants around a pretty girl. She also didn’t want Waverly to feel uncomfortable with the notion that Nicole was supposed to be her significant other. Waverly didn’t need a significant other that was attracted to her, damnit!

“I’m, uh,” Nicole explained with a nod, “I mean, what did you say?”

“I said,” Waverly giggled, “that we’re good to go.” She grabbed the iPod back from Nicole’s (sweaty) hands and hooked the mp3 player into the dock. “Let’s see if it works, hey?” Nicole nodded.

~~~

She had definitely caught Nicole staring at her _hind region_. And while a part of her was a little confused at the _why_ of the matter, she was oddly pleased with the notion that Nicole found her attractive. A cheesy pop song came through the portable speaker and she found herself confused. She hadn’t known Nicole for very long, but nothing gave her the indication that _this_ was the sort of music she would listen to. “I didn’t put the music on here,” Nicole offered with a grimace, effectively answering Waverly’s non-asked question.

“So, who did?” It was a challenge and she knew by the defeated look on Nicole’s face that she was going to get some sort of answer out of the redhead. Waiting for Nicole to respond, she eased over to the small dorm closet and found some of Nicole’s bathing products in a caddy. “Do you want to pack your own shampoo, or can you use mine while we’re gone?”

“Uh-yours is good,” she heard Nicole whisper before the song was effectively skipped. Instantly the chords of a very different kind of song enveloped the room with its mellow melody. She quickly spun around and let out a small squeak at finding herself face to face with the dimpled beauty. “Her name was Shae,” she whispered, answering the question. “She was my last girlfriend.”

Without hesitation Nicole held out the palm of her hand and arched an eyebrow. “Would you want to…maybe?” She trailed off and looked away, pink tinting her cheeks before shaking her head. “Do you want to dance,” she stated instead with a small grin.

While she wouldn’t have turned Nicole down either way, the look on her face was reason enough for her to say yes. Rather than verbalize her response, however, she graciously took the basketball player’s sweaty palm into her own and then looked down in between them, fighting off a smile of her own. “You know, a lot of people might assume that this song is in ¾,” she rambled, “but it’s actually in 6/8.”

“I don’t know what any of that means,” Nicole chuckled, swaying back and forth loosely. It wasn’t that Nicole was a bad dancer, per say, but more that they were simply holding each other while moving slowly to the beat. “But you sound so smart,” she added, a look of wonder in her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she shook her head as though to chase away the nervous rambling that she had been cursed with.

“Don’t be,” Nicole reasoned, twirling her around and then pulling her in close, “that’s one of the things that I find…” a pause. And Waverly could swear that Nicole was leaning in. Her eyes flickered down to look at Nicole’s lips. _Oh, cheese and crackers, she’s biting her lip. She’s biting her lips and I’m feeling things about this,_ the voice inside her head shouted. “Your being smart is one of the things I like most about you,” Nicole explained before resting her forehead against Waverly’s own.

Rather than ruin the moment with a response, Waverly snuggled in closer to Nicole. The scratchy material of her jersey tickled her cheek, but it was worth it and more to be held so cautiously by the incredible woman before her. She could vaguely smell vanilla and wondered if she pressed her lips against pale collarbones if she would come away with the taste of vanilla on her tongue.

Of course, she wouldn’t be stupid enough to try such a thing, but still, the mind wondered… She felt Nicole let out a whoosh of air above her and wondered if the redhead was getting flustered from their slow-moving embrace. She felt a warm hand sliding lower down her back to rest at her waist and closed her eyes. She didn’t need to see Nicole in that moment. She only needed to feel her.

The song died down and faded into some other bubblegum pop song and the spell officially wore off. Waverly pulled away and ignored the flash of hurt that made its way across Nicole’s face. Easily stepping around Nicole, she grabbed the iPod from the dock and threw it back in the drawer of the nightstand. “We need to finish packing. The bus leaves in a few hours. We don’t have time for this.”

“Sure, Waverly. Whatever you say.” The resignation in Nicole’s voice made her want to turn around and offer a hug. She simply couldn’t though. It was already complicated enough having to pretend that she was in love with Nicole around her family and hometown friends…but she didn’t want to make Nicole think she was actually interested in her. Because she wasn’t, right? Right. There was no way. She had been with Champ…and while it wasn’t the greatest experience ever, it was simply because Champ had been an idiot. She was attracted to men.

Okay, maybe Champ wasn’t the best example. Surely if she were remotely attracted to girls, she would have known it. She hadn’t been interested in Chrissy. She hadn’t ever found herself looking at girls in the locker rooms after cheerleading practice except for platonic reasons, right? That was totally normal.

But looking at Nicole, who currently had on some dorky boxers with cartoon characters and a worn-out basketball jersey with Haught stitched on the back was creating a warmth within her that was settling beneath her rib-cage. And she couldn’t remotely begin to understand what the feeling was or what it meant.

As though she could hear Waverly’s deepest thoughts, Nicole looked up and sighed, letting out a deep puff of air that couldn’t have been mistaken for anything except for dramatics. She rolled her eyes and looked at the duffle bag that Waverly had mostly packed for her. “Shae was my ex-girlfriend. We actually roomed together for a short period of time. Huge mistake. Colossal, even.” She laughed at herself, but Waverly knew it was self-deprecating in nature.

“What happened,” she found herself asking, grasping at anything to find out something new about Nicole-something that wasn’t only skin deep. She longed to know about the things that Nicole kept close to her chest. She wanted to see the scars and bruises that had turned Nicole Haught into the person she was. True, she had learned a lot from Nicole the day they spent together at the park, but it was only after some give and take. Only because Nicole had felt the need to explain herself and her rude behavior. This, though, this was something Nicole was freely offering without needing to know something in return.

“It was great,” she smiled. But Waverly knew the smile wasn’t one of pure happiness. It was a smile that conveyed the feeling of once being happy and then losing said happiness. She knew it because she had plastered the same smile on her face every single day after her entire family left her. “Then it wasn’t great.”

She took a few steps to cross the small dorm room and sat on the unmade bed next to Nicole and gently eased her hand onto the boxer covered thigh. “She was pre-med and busy a lot. I was still doing this,” she gestured vaguely to the room. “I got a job with campus security. She was really supportive of me wanting to be a cop. It was something I hadn’t had before then.” She could easily hear by the wavering of Nicole’s voice that she was feeling emotional. Rather than pull away, she used her right hand to race absentminded patterns on Nicole’s back. Upon reaching HAUGHT, she traced a small heart. “That feels nice,” she mumbled.

“Thanks,” Waverly offered and began to hum a song that her uncle used to sing to her when she would have troubles falling asleep. She hoped it would help Nicole feel better about her own troubles in the moment.

“Anyway,” Nicole huffed, “Shae was also a lot more… well-off than I was. Her family, they were…loaded is the only thing I can come up with. They liked me in the beginning. They really did. I was invited along to all of these extraordinary events. It was like a part of me was getting to live the high life, you know? But they found out I was in school on a basketball scholarship with next to nothing to my name and dating their daughter. Then they didn’t like me so much.”

“Oh, Nicole,” she found herself saying, despite herself. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. Shae pretty much told them that it didn’t matter. I wasn’t with her for her money. Of course, when you grow up with money you can’t imagine what it’s like to not have it, I guess. Her parents threatened to cut her off completely if we didn’t end things. She moved out of the dorm and into her own apartment.”

Waverly eyed the alarm clock and sighed. They were probably going to miss the bus to Purgatory, but she knew that being with Nicole in this moment was worth having to take a midnight trip to Purgatory. She was certain that Wynonna or Gus would be furious about having to pick them up so late, but she couldn’t bring herself to stop Nicole. Beautiful Nicole who was being so open and vulnerable with her in that moment.

“We tried to be discrete then. I would only see her on the weekends at her place. She would come by and see me at work. My grades started to slip though. I couldn’t manage basketball, school, and a job. I know tons of people can do it, but I’m not that smart,” she offered with an eyeroll that infuriated Waverly to no ends.

“You stop that. You _are_ smart. Do you know what’s more important than that though?” She felt Nicole shake her head. “You’re a good person, Nicole. You’re smart and you’re good…and you’re going to be the most amazing cop. I know it. I’m a good judge of character,” she added with a small grin.

“Stop,” Nicole whispered, choked up. Waverly’s ministrations halted and she grabbed Nicole’s jaw, forcing the ginger to look directly at her.

“You aren’t Supergirl, Nicole. Everyone has a breaking point. Nobody is freakin’ perfect all the time.” She waited for a few seconds to ensure that the words really had a chance to take root within Nicole’s brain.

“Anyway,” Nicole wiped at her reddened nose and chuckled awkwardly, “her parents found out and officially withdrew her finances from school. She transferred to a different university. We broke up. She said that maybe one day we would find our way back to each other, but I kind of gave up on that pipe dream.”

“You still love her,” she found herself saying. Nicole’s bloodshot eyes met hers and for a second, Waverly almost felt as though her soul had caught fire from the look in the redhead’s eyes.

“I’ll always love her,” she eventually responded, “but I let go of that relationship a long time ago.”

~~

Her nerves were officially wreaking havoc on her body. Every fifteen minutes she had the urge to use the bathroom despite the fact that she had specifically restricted her water intake due to that very issue. She glanced around the bus station and groaned upon realizing that Nicole still hadn’t made it back from the vending machine.

They hadn’t missed their bus, as she had originally feared they would, but the bus had been delayed. She shouldn’t have expected any differently considering it was the only line that actually went through Purgatory.

“There wasn’t anything vegan in there,” she heard, as Nicole plopped down on the seat beside her. “Buuuut,” she drawled while rummaging through her basketball team provided backpack, “I got some trail mix for you-just in case.” She handed the bag over and then zipped the backpack up, placing it next to their feet. She grabbed at a bag of chips that had been bought from a vending machine and popped them open, “I don’t know if I can even eat this,” she admitted before shutting the bag. “I’m really nervous, Waverly.”

“You’re nervous?” She shrieked. “I’m the one taking a _girl_ home for my family to meet. I’m coming out of a closet I wasn’t even in to begin with.” At this, Nicole’s jaw dropped, and Waverly wondered if she had somehow said something offensive. Before she could worry too much, however, Nicole began to laugh loudly. “Nicole, hush,” she reprimanded.

“Look around, Waverly, no one is here,” she retorted in amongst giggles.

“Boarding for Purgatory, 4:45,” an elderly woman’s voice croaked from the loudspeakers. “Again, we are beginning to board for Purgatory.” She stood up to grab her own bag but found that Nicole had already grabbed both of their luggage, despite being weighed down by it all.

“You could have taught Champ a thing or two about chivalry,” she sing-songed before walking ahead of Nicole. She smiled upon hearing the lanky girl sputtering behind her.

Upon making it to the chartered bus, she sighed. Most times when she made the trip to Purgatory and back, she simply rode with Chrissy. It generally worked out to where she had only had to use the bus a handful of times. She bitterly wondered if Chrissy would show up in Purgatory over to break and prayed for a number of reasons that she wouldn’t. First of all, it would mean that she and Nicole could have ridden in the comfort of a car and not the decrepit bus. Second, and most importantly, she didn’t want to have to interact with Nicole in a “more than friends” way around the blonde.

“Buntline?” She turned and saw the scrunched up look that Nicole had while looking at the bus. “I’ve never even heard of this. I know that I gave you my sob story about being poor, but this is a little much,” she explained before receiving a (purely accidental, mind you) slap to the gut.

“Shut up,” she hissed, earning another deep grin and a chuckle from her “girlfriend.”

“I shouldn’t be surprised though, eh? I wouldn’t really expect a place called Purgatory to have an actual bus stop,” Nicole added. She rolled her eyes and left Nicole to pack up their luggage and made her way onto the bus. There were several passengers, but she could guarantee that the majority of them would get off before Purgatory. In fact, she would almost be willing to bet money that she and Nicole would be the only two getting off a Purgatory itself.

She took a spot towards the front of the bus and waited for Nicole to come along. As minutes trickled by she wondered if Nicole had backed out and was sending her home to her family empty handed. The thought of facing Wynonna without Nicole had her twisting the rings on her finger in nervousness while tapping her foot to an imaginary beat.

“Sorry, sorry,” she heard Nicole explaining before plopping down next to her. “I remembered that I needed something out of my bag.” She handed Waverly her water container and two small pills.

“What is this?” She whispered before looking around the bus. She didn’t want someone to assume that some awkward drug exchange was happening between the two of them.

Nicole rolled her eyes in annoyance, but her dimples gave her away every single time. “The other day you mentioned that you got sick a lot in car rides. I picked up some motion sickness medicine when I was getting your squirrel food,” she added.

The nerve of that idiot puppy, she thought to herself. She was bringing her snacks and remembering minute details that she didn’t even remember sharing. “Nicole, I-

What was she going to say?

A second passed…and then another… and Nicole simply cocked her head to the side and waited with a small smile. “I appreciate it,” she finally stated before grabbing the pills and throwing them back. With any luck they might make her fall asleep or something while she was ahead. She didn’t want to have to be stuck sitting so close to Nicole for the next three hours. Not when the feeling of Nicole’s leg bumping up against her own was causing her to just feel a fluttering sensation in her stomach.

“Alright,” Nicole stretched her legs out…as far as room would allow them before rubbing at a bony knee and grunting. “Crunch time,” she mumbled to herself before looking intensely at Waverly. “We’ve been together for about seven months.” She nodded, unsure of what exactly Nicole was trying to do. “Okay, Wynonna is going to threaten me. I can handle her.”

_She’s…giving herself a pep talk._ If it wasn’t the most adorable thing she had ever seen, she would have laughed.

“You two are adorable,” she heard from across the aisle. “Going home to meet your family, eh?” She looked up and noticed a plump, middle-age woman with a smile on her face.

While she floundered, thinking of a suitable answer, Nicole grabbed Waverly’s hand and squeezed. “Yes ma’am. I’m kind of nervous,” she chuckled.

“Dear, you shouldn’t be. I can see the way you two look at each other. Young and in love. It reminds me of my dear Arthur.” Waverly wanted to snort. Young and in love? Yeah, right. “Just remember, relationships take work. Nothing worth having is easy.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Nicole answered again, a blush on her cheeks.

“Oh, I’ll leave you two girls alone. Don’t mind me.” Nicole nodded before looking down into her lap. At first, she assumed that Nicole was just trying to keep herself from laughing at the other woman, but she realized that Nicole was actively avoiding eye contact with her. She awkwardly shuffled around, making sure to poke and prod at Nicole any chance she could only to be met with stony silence.

_Fine,_ her internal monologue huffed, _be that way._ Eventually she yawned, finding the quiet lull of the bus combined with the trees blurring past in the window were a fatal combination to her attempt at staying awake.

 

 

“Wavely,” she heard while being gently shaken. “Come on, wake up, sleeping beauty,” the husky voice tried again. Eyes fluttering open, she realized several things at once:

  1. The bus had stopped moving.
  2. She had drooled all over Nicole’s shirt.
  3. Nicole Haught’s gruff sleep voice was definitely doing things to her.



“Where are we,” she whined, not wanting to get up and hoping that they had made a pit stop somewhere. Not only was she not ready to deal with her hometown, but she had, somehow, managed to have a very restful nap.

“Hell,” Nicole joked while untangling herself from Waverly. The overhead lights of the bus came on, essentially proving that her nightmare of a spring break had begun. Nicole offered her a hand from the aisle of the bus and waited patiently for her to wake up enough to stand up and get moving. She would find it embarrassing that Nicole was literally helping her get out of her seat but the softness and warmth that emitted from her hands were soothing enough to keep any negative emotions at bay.

As soon as she stepped off the bus, she knew that she had made it back home. The dusty air circled around her like hound dogs nipping at the heels of its warm-blooded target. She wanted to shake the feeling off of her. Every single time she made her way back to Purgatory she was afraid that she would get sucked in and stuck.

“Alright, _babe,_ ” Nicole crooned while grabbing their luggage from the undercarriage of the bus. “Who is picking us up?” She took a moment to scan the parking lot and found the old truck that she had grown up seeing around the ranch.

“Either Gus or Wynonna,” she offered before taking a deep breath.

“Hey,” Nicole gently eased their bags to the ground and spun around to look at Waverly evenly. Grasping at Waverly’s arms she offered a smile. “You got this.” Instead of letting Nicole pull away, she folded herself in on the taller girl and inhaled deeply, taking comfort in the warm vanilla scent that enveloped Nicole. “I’m going to be _the best_ significant other. By the time we leave, they’re going to be tired of hearing me sing your praises.”

“Oh hush,” she mumbled into the soft V-neck tee that Nicole had changed into prior to leaving the dorm.

Picking up their bags, Nicole nodded at Waverly, motioning for her to take the lead.

One step. Two steps.

She could feel her skin prickling, almost as though something was trying to warn her about incoming danger. It would have been easy to turn around and run back to the bus and escape to wherever the next stop was, but then what?

She was close enough to the blue Ford that she could practically smell the exhaust from where Wynonna had, no doubt, left the truck running as long as possible to utilize the air conditioner. She wanted to tell Nicole to drop their bags into the bed of the truck, but couldn’t bring herself to say anything at all. Not when the world was moving in slow motion and she could see the door of the truck opening.

A leather boot came into view. And then another. “Babygirl, you got here in one piece.” She hadn’t really heard the words coming from Wynonna but instead managed to read her lips in among the panic that was raging a war beneath the surface. Before she could say something, anything, Wynonna had wrapped her into a bone-crushing hug.

She could smell gun oil and leather on the girl with the tiniest hint of whiskey and was thrown back into memories of a lifetime ago. Her mother sitting on the front porch humming a tune while Ward was out by the barn with Wynonna and Willa. Before the memory had a chance to turn into something more sinister, Wynonna was pulling out of the embrace and smiling. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she chuckled. “Oh, Red, put the stuff in bed of the truck.” She turned and looked at Waverly. “Do I need to tip her? Because I didn’t really bring cash with me.” She snorted.

“Wynonna, this is-

“Where is the boyfriend? I’ve been ready to bust some balls. I even got Peacemaker out from the barn.”

“Well, you see-

“Thanks, Big Red,” she interrupted after seeing that Nicole had put their combined bags and suitcases away. “Hold up a sec.” With that, she turned around and leaned into the front seat of the truck before popping out with a triumphant shout. “Here, for your troubles. I know she didn’t pack light. Also, this is muy bueno. When I took the bus last time there weren’t people there to bring the luggage out.”

“No, Wynonna,” Waverly interjected after seeing the flash of emotions on Nicole’s face. “This is…”

“Okay, your boyfriend isn’t making a great first impression, Waves,” Wynonna interrupted…again. “Feminism!” She put a fist up and looked at Nicole before looking back at Waverly. “Like, good for Merida over here for carrying your shit, but where is this douche-knob at? Even Champ-

“Oh my God, Wynonna!” Waverly shouted, effectively earning a few stares from the few people in the parking lot. “This is Nicole. We have been dating for a while now.” Wynonna blinked once and then twice before crinkling her nose.

“Waves, I think your boyfriend is a chick.”

“Hi, Wynonna,” Nicole spoke with a warm smile and an outstretched hand.

_This_ was the moment she had been dreading. Seeing the look on her family’s face when being introduced to the idea that Waverly was dating a woman. Why it bothered her so much, she didn’t know considering the fact that she wasn’t actually interested in women. Still, something in the back of her mind told her to watch every emotion and detail that passed over her sister’s face so that she could know whether or not there would be an issue with Nicole.

…because Nicole was amazing. And no one in her family was allowed to have an issue with her.

“Are you right handed,” Wynonna finally questioned while looking at Nicole’s outstretched hand. Confusion laced Nicole’s features as she nodded her head. “Cool, I’ll shake the other one then. I don’t want to be touching the hand that finger-bangs my little sister.”

“Wynonna,” Waverly shrieked, embarrassed for herself and Nicole…but mostly herself. She had imagined a lot of ways that the initial meeting between Nicole and Wynonna could have gone, but this had not been one of them. At this point, she decided, she would have much rather have Wynonna send them packing back on the bus than whatever _this_ was.

Of course, when she looked over at Nicole who had at that point offered Wynonna her left hand with a well-hidden smirk, she knew something was going to happen. As Wynonna accepted the handshake, Nicole smiled. “I’m pretty ambidextrous in the bedroom,” she winked before dropping Wynonna’s hand.

“Yuck,” Wynonna spat before wiping her hands off on her black pants.

“Quit gagging, you big baby,” Waverly pushed at Wynonna’s shoulder and waited for the brunette to get into the truck. “Oh my God, Nicole, what is wrong with you,” she snapped, once Wynonna’s door had shut.

“Deep breaths, Waves. Don’t want your sister to think we’re fighting, now do we?” She pressed a quick kiss to the top of Waverly’s head and pushed at the small of her back to get her into the truck.

_Shiitake mushrooms, this is going to be a terrible week_. She groaned from her spot in the middle of the truck. With Wynonna to her left and Nicole on her right she felt sandwiched into what could only be described as a nightmare waiting to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to, come talk to me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/mmetcalfe91) or [tumblr](https://superstitious-pigeons.tumblr.com)


	6. Chapter VI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with an update, friends! I had more things to cover in this chapter, but I didn't want it to be too long so I guess I'll work the rest of it in with the next chapter or something. Can I just say that I really appreciate you all so much? This is ridiculously fun for me so I'm glad that you guys are getting something out of it as well. 
> 
> We got our shitshow back, guys!
> 
> Also, there be some homophobic language ahead. Just a lil warning.

“So, slight change of plans,” Wynonna explained while tapping idly at the steering wheel. “Definitely misunderstood some things and have to go by the house. _Alone_.” She glanced over at Waverly and shook her head in a way that Waverly knew meant to drop it.

 

Was her sister disappointed in her for bringing home a girl? Wynonna had never been one to care much about what others did, but maybe it was different when it came to family. That would have certainly been rich considering she was only in Purgatory to ease Wynonna’s guilt of being a less than consistent figure in her life.

 

“If you’ve got a problem with my...Nicole then just take us back to the station,” she snapped, deflating slightly when Nicole grabbed at her hand and held tight. She didn’t exactly appreciate that Nicole was able to influence her moods with just feather-light touches. It almost felt as though Nicole had some sort of hold over here.

 

“Waves, calm down,” Nicole whispered into brown tresses before placing the gentlest of kisses upon the crown of her head. She looked down, refusing to make eye contact with Wynonna simply because she hoped her sister was looking at the road instead of her, and Nicole? Well, she didn’t want Nicole to see the stupid grin that she couldn’t wipe off of her face.

 

“Yeah, _Waves,_ ” Wynonna mocked the term of endearment. “Put your bra back on and snuff out those torches. This isn’t a protest,” she snorted at her own joke and then glanced over at the two idiots in the truck. “So, how long exactly have you been boning _your_ Nicole,” she questioned, referencing Waverly’s slip of tongue from earlier.

 

“Wynonna,” Waverly threatened before feeling Nicole squeezing at her hand again. Despite the fact that minutes earlier she had been angry with the fact that Nicole’s touch was _literally_ mood-altering, the action was simply soothing. Nicole’s hands felt like anchors that were keeping her grounded and, in the moment, away from Wynonna being _all Wynonna_.  “Wait,” she suddenly remembered the weird comment that had started the entire conversation, “what did you misunderstand?”

 

She noticed the look on her sister’s face and just knew, within the depths of her soul, that Wynonna had done something incredibly _stupid_. “Well, baby girl,” she started to explain with an eye roll, “I thought it would be funny if I left you and your boyfriend some funny shit in the bedroom. Y’know, in a kinky sort of way. Now that I see what we’re working with here, I’ve got to redecorate the room a bit.”

 

She was definitely starting to regret accepting her moronic sister’s idea to spend the week in, not only Purgatory, but literal hell.

 

“What makes you think we couldn’t use it,” she heard Nicole question with what could only be described as a cocky look on her face. Without a second thought, she whacked the redhead in the stomach and smiled triumphantly at the coughing spell it threw Nicole into.

 

If Wynonna veered off the road at Nicole’s comment? Well, no one mentioned the less than stellar driving.

 

“ _Why_ would you do that anyway, Wynonna,” Waverly threw her hands around, gesturing wildly, while Nicole did everything she could to prevent being struck.

 

It didn’t work.

 

“Jesus, Waverly,” Nicole scolded while rubbing at her sore shoulder.

 

“Pothole warning,” Wynonna shouted before slamming her foot onto the gas. Waverly rolled her eyes and braced herself for impact by grabbing the dashboard of the truck.

 

“Huh,” Nicole questioned before simultaneously being thrown into the ceiling and then the door of the truck. “Oh crap,” she whined, rubbing at her scalp in an attempt to soothe the ache from hitting her head on the roof of the beat-up truck.

 

“Grow up, Wyn,” Waverly angrily shoved at her sister before angling her body towards the dazed and possibly concussed redhead. “You okay, Nicole?”

 

“Just peachy,” she groaned, shoving Waverly’s hands away in an attempt to sulk in peace. Waverly wanted to examine Nicole for further injuries but found that Nicole was refusing to compromise. The more she tried to grab at Nicole, the more the infuriating girl pushed herself into the truck door and stared out the window.

 

“Sorry, Red. You got to be prepared for anything out here.” While her tone was aloof, Waverly knew that Wynonna was anything but.

 

“Sure, Helen Keller, I’ll remind myself not to get in a car with you,” she bit back with a tone that Waverly hadn’t heard her use before. If she had been into that sort of thing, Waverly might have thought it was sexy how irate Nicole had found herself around Wynonna.

 

Unrelated to the sensations coursing through her body at the harsh and clipped tones Nicole had shot out, Waverly wanted to strangle Wynonna with the tassels of her leather jacket. Truly, she contemplated murder but instead inhaled deeply in an attempt to calm herself down. She wouldn’t do well in a prison setting; she just knew it. Still, she was angry with her sister. If Nicole had actually been her significant other, she would be completely mortified at whatever game Wynonna was playing at.

 

“Why would you want to embarrass the person I brought home?!” She rubbed at the bridge of her nose, praying that the headache she could feel creeping in would divert its hold on her.

 

“I thought it would be funny! Damn Waverly, since when did you become such a downer? Apparently Ginger Spice over here isn’t doing enough to keep you satisfied in between the sheets or we wouldn’t be dealing with cranky-pants over here.” She felt her face flush. The thought of her and Nicole in between any sheets was making her sweat. It was a good thing though. It definitely made her look as though she were sexually invested in Nicole...which was what she was trying to sell after all. So, mission accomplished, she rationalized with a nod of her head.

 

“Are we almost there?” The soft question had her remembering that Nicole had definitely heard everything that Wynonna had previously said. Was Nicole offended? Did Nicole think that she had what it took to satisfy someone in the bed? Just someone, well...anyone. Not her in particular.

 

“Well Nicky,” Wynonna began

 

“Don’t call me that.”

 

“Don’t call her that!”

 

She looked shyly at Nicole before offering her a smile that she hoped conveyed the whole “I’m sorry that you’re forced to pretend to have feelings for me despite the fact that my sister is insane and would definitely drive away any human that was remotely interested in me,” while Nicole simply beamed in response.

 

“Seriously? What is this-are you guys in sync with everything? How do you deal with shark week?” Before Waverly could offer some sort of response to Wynonna’s juvenile barbs, Nicole squirmed. A gasp then escaped from Nicole, forcing Waverly to spin around to see what could have elicited such a response from the auburn-haired woman. Whether it was the rolling fields of nothing but acres of grass or the lake that currently held a legitimate army of geese, she wasn’t sure.

 

Wynonna slammed her leather boot clad foot on the brake pedal and threw the truck in park before swinging the door open and stepping out of the Ford. Rather than slide out on Wynonna’s side, Waverly took the opportunity to face Nicole. “You poor baby,” she cooed, gently running her fingers through copper locks. “I’m so, so sorry about my sister.”

 

Nicole grabbed at Waverly’s hand and placed it gently into her own lap before sighing. “You don’t have to apologize. I think she’s just trying to make sure that I’m good enough for you.” Waverly wanted to laugh at the idea. There was no way that Wynonna “I’ll settle down when my ‘Cave of Wonders’ dries up” Earp was actually worried about a partner of hers. She was notorious for thinking relationships were stupid and that the best philosophy in life was that of a “no strings attached.”

 

“You are more than enough,” she found herself saying. It wasn’t until Nicole’s face turned a few shades darker than her own hair that she realized what exactly it was she had said. “More than enough in a... Oh look, we need to go inside,” she sputtered, pointing at Wynonna who was waiting on the front porch with a smirk on her face.

 

She jumped away from Nicole and slid across the bench seat as quickly as possible. She threw open the driver’s side door and exited without looking back. She really had to get her shit together before she did something stupid. She didn’t wait for Nicole to follow and instead made her way to the front door. Nervous as hell for whatever came next, she followed her sister.

 

“So, this is it, Waverly,” Wynonna gestured around the place that they had, for a brief moment in time, called home. A part of her wanted to just turn around leave. She had nothing but bad memories there. Even though the girl had been as sly as a fox (seriously, when did she come inside?) upon entering the homestead, Nicole reached out and placed a steadying hand on her lower back. With the smallest of touches from the redhead she knew she would be okay.

 

“You’ve really made it your own,” she countered, pointing at the weird skull that was placed on the mantle of the fireplace. She didn’t ask if it was real. Mostly because she was scared of the answer she would get.

 

“Before you go up to the room, let’s talk,” Wynonna pointed at the couch and sat opposite of it in a dingy looking recliner.

 

“Well, this seems like an interrogation if I’ve ever been in one,” Nicole replied with ease. She fell back into the couch and held her arms out.

 

Did Nicole want her to sit on her lap? What was happening? They hadn’t talked about this sort of thing when they went over the guidelines of being a fake couple that Waverly had made for the both of them.

 

“Yeah, I don’t think so, Tampon Top,” Wynonna interjected.

 

“Okay, that’s a new one,” she heard Nicole mutter from below her. Heeding Wynonna’s warning, she sat beside the redhead. She ignored the hurt look that Nicole was shooting at her. She didn’t know whether the look was genuine or for show on Wynonna’s behalf.

 

“Explain.”

 

Waverly bit her lip, “explain what?”

 

“How this,” Wynonna gestured between the two of them, “happened.”

 

“Are you asking this as a sister or as a homophobic asshole,” Nicole chipped in. She could feel the anger rolling off of her _friend_ in waves. What she couldn’t understand is what exactly she was mad about.

 

They had run into some men at a bar during one of their outings the previous week…

 

_“Are you sure you want to talk about things here,” Nicole shouted over the loud music while nursing a beer._

_Waverly had ulterior motives in suggesting a bar. Not only did she not want to talk about their pretend relationship that was soon to be put into effect, she wanted to drink so much that her brain simply shut off. Just for a little bit. She was tired of the conflicting thoughts that loomed over her like a dark cloud in the sky._

_“Let’s just drink, huh?” She winked at Nicole before throwing back a shot. Why did she wink? Did it even look like a wink? Or just a girl in the middle of a stroke. The pink on Nicole’s cheeks made her wonder if she was feeling hot. She was a little cold herself, but she definitely ran cooler than most people._

_She looked over the basketball player and hoped her gaze didn’t come across as a leer. She was dressed in tight maroon pants, some gray high tops, and a dark blue button down. Overall, she looked...good._

_“Hiya, ladies,” a deep baritone boomed from behind her. Swiveling on the barstool, she was met with dark brown eyes, a scraggly beard, and jet-black hair. He wasn’t hideous, but all she could think about was the fact that the eyes were the wrong shade of brown. “I’m Chase,” he introduced before sitting on the barstool next to her._

_“Can we get you two a drink” a separate man, obviously with the first one, smiled at Nicole. “Name is Micah,” he smiled, eyes flickering between the two women._

_Maybe it was hot in the bar after all. She could feel a heat flash across her face. Why would this man interrupt what was clearly a date...between two friends to offer to buy them drinks? They were independent women who didn’t need men, thank you!_

_“That’s up to Waverly here,” Nicole answered after realizing that she wasn’t going to be saying anything. She refused to make eye contact with Nicole, knowing that the redhead would see the confusion written on her face._

_Why would Nicole leave it all up to her? What was the tall girl getting at?_

_“Surely you have an opinion, too, doll,” the blond man, Micah, winked at Nicole._

_That was definitely more like a stroke victim, she thought to herself. There’s no way that her wink earlier had been **that** creepy. Not that it mattered. She wasn’t in a winking competition with this jock. _

_...but if she were, she had no doubt that Nicole would give her first place._

_She heard Nicole’s vague, “you’re barking up the wrong tree here,” before seeing the two man-babies lips curve in disgust._

_“So, you’re a carpet-muncher? That’s disgusting.” She looked at Micah and felt the urge to slap the look he was throwing to Nicole right off of his face. Still, she knew that violence never solved anything._

_“Leave her alone,” she meekly argued after realizing that Nicole wasn’t going to stand up for herself._

_“Babe, why don’t you come with us,” Chase interrupted-looking only at her. “We’ll show you a good time. Don’t want this dyke to force herself on you,” he grinned._

_“I was having a good time before you two showed up,” she huffed. She grabbed at Nicole’s arm and pulled the girl away from the bar, ignoring the two shit-tickets that had interrupted their evening._

_“Waverly, where are we going,” she heard Nicole shout from behind her. She didn’t really have a destination in mind. She only knew she needed to get out of the bar-to get Nicole away from those jerks who clearly hadn’t been raised properly!_

_Without hesitating she turned around and stood her ground, letting the redhead collide into her. “Why didn’t you say anything to them?” She poked Nicole’s chest as though that were going to show her._

_“Waves,” Nicole sighed, “sometimes it just isn’t worth it. You have to learn to choose your battles. You think I’m not used to this?” It broke her heart knowing that Nicole had endured comments like what had been thrown at her earlier for who knew how long? “I promise that I’m okay. I just try to stay out of it unless it’s really going to hurt me or someone I care about.”_

_“That’s stupid, Nicole.” Why would someone as wonderful, kind, and sweet as Nicole endure such blatant taunts without giving a response?_

“I’m not homophobic,” Wynonna defended, bring her out of her memory. The look on Nicole’s face was positively frightening. Well, in the grand scheme of things it wasn’t too frightening, she supposed. It was more of a _Nicole looks like an angry chihuahua at the moment_ versus her normal Labrador Retriever look. “I’m not,” she screeched, holding her hands up in surrender.

 

“So, you’re just an asshole then,” Nicole cracked a smile and suddenly the tense moment passed. She looked over at her sister to see her reaction and let out a small sigh of relief when Wynonna simply chuckled.

 

“You’ve got a good one, Waverly,” was all Wynonna stated before pulling herself out of the recliner. “I’m getting something to drink before we continue this little chat,” she explained, shooting Waverly a quick wink and a smile.

 

A rushed, “Omigod, Nicole,” fell from her mouth. It had actually worked. Not only did Wynonna believe that Nicole was her significant other, but she seemed to approve. Her good mood was _not_ contagious if the grimace on Nicole’s face was anything to go on. “Nicole?”  She gently knocked her shoulder against Nicole’s, hoping that it would elicit some sort of reaction. Thankfully, Nicole seemed to come back to reality, offering Waverly the dimpled grin that she so adored.

 

“I’m so sorry, Waverly,” she whispered in an attempt to keep Wynonna from hearing. “I’m trying to impress your sister for you, and I’m just…screwing it up.” Without thinking, she raced forward and pressed a kiss against furrowed brows. All she had wanted was to wipe the disappointed look from Nicole’s face.

 

“Hey, keep it G rated in here, kids,” Wynonna called from the corner of the room, whiskey in hand. She eased her way back to the recliner and sat down eyeing the space between Waverly and Nicole as though they had just been caught dry humping.

 

“Seriously, ‘Nonna? I’m in college,” she grumbled before catching a look from Wynonna that could only be described as that of a dead fish.

 

“I’m going to try this sisterly shit one more time,” she explained with a frown (but Waverly knew that Wynonna was secretly loving every single minute of the remaining Earp sisters being reunited), “when did you start schtupping chicks?” Expecting Nicole to rescue her like a knight in shining armor, she was sorely disappointed when she started to laugh instead. “Actually,” Wynonna begun, pointer finger tapping her lip in a gesture that implied she was thinking, “I guess I’m not too surprised.”

 

What did that even mean? Was Wynonna implying that she could easily imagine her, Waverly Earp, being attracted to women? Or was she trying to say that Waverly was nothing but disappointing and as such, her being attracted to women was just another thing to be disappointed about. She looked at Nicole who was grinning wolfishly and wondered what the redhead was thinking about. She didn’t have to wait much longer when a “do tell,” was spilled from those stupidly perfect lips.

 

Wynonna took a slow sip from the bottle of whiskey and sighed after the liquid had eased down her throat. “Well, Nicki,” she began to explain, much to Waverly’s annoyance. Before she could correct her sister, she noticed that Wynonna was looking at Nicole as though she had genuinely forgotten the reaction that Nicole and Waverly had both had earlier in the day at the nickname, “I mean Nicole.”

 

She took a second to look over at her faux girlfriend and grinned upon seeing the look of appreciation plastered on her face. Wynonna had absolutely despised her ex-boyfriend so for her to not already have Nicole kicked out to the curb was a win in Waverly’s eyes. Maybe it was the fact that Champ Hardy had been an absolute moron while Nicole actually had a brain cell in her head.

 

“Her first crush was on a chick named Beth Gardner,” Wynonna smirked.

 

Waverly’s eyes shot open at the statement, _“What_?!” She hadn’t thought about Beth in a long time, but the fact that Wynonna thought she had been interested in the younger Gardner sister was a joke. Surely. She wanted to tell Nicole that she had nothing to worry about, obviously, but then she realized that Nicole was probably more concerned with the fact that Wynonna thought she was a lesbian.

 

The rational part of her brain that should have realized that the whole point of the entire damn week was for Wynonna to assume she was into women was nowhere to be found.

 

“Yeah,” Wynonna kept rambling, much to Waverly’s horror, “I was sort-of friends with Beth’s sister, Mercedes. She told me that she caught the two of them locking lips-

 

“Okay, first of all, we were practicing for boys,” she interrupted, “all girls do that.”

 

“I didn’t do that,” Wynonna deadpanned while Nicole sat there with her mouth wide open. _Way to help me out here, Nicole,_ she thought to herself.

 

“Umm. I mean, I wanted to kiss girls, but it wasn’t to practice for boys,” Nicole added after realizing that Waverly wanted some sort of support from her. She shot her a look that clearly shouted _YOU ARE NOT HELPING_ , only to be further embarrassed by Wynonna’s cackling.

 

“On top of that, she was always talking about how pretty Beth was or how sweet Beth was. It was…in hindsight…I’m not in the least shocked by this turn of events,” her sister shrugged her shoulders. “Still, how did you two meet?”

 

She was an absolute mess. Not only was Wynonna sure that she had been interested in Beth Gardner of all people, but she had completely forgotten about everything she had done. Had she repressed the memories and blocked them out for a reason? What was happening to her? Thankfully, Nicole decided to be a freakin’ decent human for once on this trip and placed a hand on her thigh. While she was positive that the girl was only trying to look like a considerate girlfriend in front of said girlfriend’s older sister, the gesture was relaxing.

 

 “We actually met through some mutual friends,” Nicole explained. Waverly was so happy that she had taken over talking that she could have kissed her. She was clearly short-circuiting and the fact that Nicole knew that and plowed ahead for the both of them? She knew that whoever Nicole actually ended up with would be a very lucky girl. That thought alone made her sick to her stomach. “I’m friends with a guy who is apparently friends with-

 

“Chrissy Nedley,” Waverly finished. Wynonna rolled her eyes and groaned before picking the bottle of whiskey back up from the floor and throwing another shot down the hatch.

 

Waverly hadn’t really spent much time with a sober Wynonna. Most of the time Wynonna only visited for a weekend at a time. She would make her way from Purgatory and crash on the couch at the apartment she shared with Chrissy and spend the entire weekend hitting up clubs or bars. She briefly wondered if Wynonna was actually having problems that she didn’t know about. She came to visit Wynonna to assuage her guilt at being an absent sister, but now Waverly was starting to think that she hadn’t really been much of a decent sister either.

 

There was a harshness to Wynonna that hadn’t been there when they had been growing up, but she imagined having the Earp last name sort of ruined any chances at having a decent upbringing. She had been lucky to spend her time divided between Chrissy’s house and Gus and Curtis’ ranch, but Wynonna had been in and out of juvie before taking off.

“Did she tell you that her father was elected sheriff,” Wynonna mused, bringing Waverly out of her own thoughts. Of course, she knew that Chrissy’s dad was sheriff, but she was content to let Wynonna talk about whatever she wanted to. “Does it really count as being elected if no one runs against you though?”

 

She had made a colossal mistake in not preparing Nicole for the one thing Wynonna hated more than cheap alcohol: cops. So, when stupid Nicole opened her mouth and started talking about how she hadn’t known Chrissy’s father was legitimately sheriff and how cool it was, she could have just kissed the girl to keep her mouth from blabbering on to Wynonna.

 

Wynonna gasped, gagged, and then imitated a horribly inaccurate sign of the cross before shouting, “You’re schtupping a cop?! Waverly, how could you?” Between Wynonna’s gasps and Nicole’s confused face, she simply stood up from the couch and walked to where her old room had been. “Don’t walk away from me!” Wynonna wailed. “We have to work through this, baby girl.”

 

“Waverly,” Nicole pleaded, “don’t leave me here with her.” She supposed it wouldn’t be fair of her to leave Nicole with an upset Wynonna…especially since Nicole was only in Purgatory to help Waverly out. Still, she didn’t want to hear Wynonna’s sob story about how cops were just no-good,

 

“Fun-sucking, pieces of shit,” Wynonna mumbled. Had she been braver, she would have thrown herself at Nicole in that moment, just to piss Wynonna off even further. It would certainly be payback for Wynonna’s behavior in the truck. While it certainly would have made Waverly happy to spite Wynonna in such a small way, she was expected to live in the same house as the elder Earp for a full week. She didn’t want to start things off terribly. Not when she knew Wynonna was capable of stooping much lower than the occasional sex joke and purposeful pothole hitting.

 

She turned and made her way back to the sofa, ignoring the pleading look Nicole was sending her way. She was positive that Nicole wanted to leave Purgatory (and her, by default) behind, but if she avoided eye contact long enough then hopefully Nicole would forget about escaping the homestead and the two remaining Earps.

 

“ _Babe_ ,” Nicole hissed, “you can’t leave me here without showing me around.” Wynonna dramatically gagged again.

 

“Why did you want me to bring my significant other home if you were just going to interrogate them and then refuse to let us act like a couple?!” Had she known that Wynonna expected some sort of platonic situation, she wouldn’t have spent so much time going over the specifics between her and Nicole’s pretend relationship.

 

“Okay, Jesus,” Wynonna relented, holding her hands up in surrender. “I just wanted to give you a hard time. I wasn’t really around for all your other relationships,” Wynonna glanced at Nicole before quickly looking away, “I’m just trying to…I don’t know, Waverly.” Her shoulders slumped and a defeated look crossed her face.

 

“I think I get it,” Waverly countered, offering a small smile as a bit of an olive branch. Nicole kept her mouth shut, intelligent enough to see that she and Wynonna were having a bit of a moment.

 

“Speaking of your poor taste in boyfriends,” Wynonna chuckled, “Champ is back in town. He’s really excited that you’re here for spring break.”

 

Almost as though she had been on some sort of rollercoaster and made it to the spine-tingling drop, her stomach lunged. The idea of having to see her ex filled her with nothing but dread and shame. She did not want Nicole to have to see the man that she had previously dated. Truthfully, Champ Hardy made Tucker Gardner look like a genius.

 

“I think that Red here can spook him off. Shoot, maybe I’ll even let her go after him with Peacemaker.” At this, Nicole’s ears perked up. _Interesting_ , she thought to herself. Was Nicole excited about seeing Wyatt’s gun? Or was she excited about the prospect of threatening her doofus of an ex?

 

“What is Peacemaker,” Nicole questioned, looking adorably at her. “You’ve mentioned it a few times…”

 

_Well,_ Waverly grinned, _clearly Nicole was excited about threatening Champ and not Peacemaker._

 

“For fucks sake, Waverly, I don’t support this relationship anymore.”

 

~

An old country song that Waverly couldn’t place was coming through the old speakers at Shorty’s. She hadn’t wanted to go to the bar, not on their first night in Purgatory. She wasn’t ready for Nicole to meet the entire town, which was essentially who would be at the bar. Wynonna had been relentless though.

 

Thankfully, Wynonna had promised to go easy on the drinks since it was decided that they would definitely be back at Shorty’s on a night that didn’t find Waverly and Nicole tired and cranky from the bus ride.

 

She had grabbed seats at a table in the corner, not wanting to sit at the bar. She knew that the regular customers would want their places front and center to flirt with whatever unfortunate girl had the job as the barmaid. It was practically in the job description when one applied there. Looking around, she saw Wynonna waiting for their drinks with Nicole, who seemed to be genuinely happy talking to the brunette. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but she could hear the redhead’s laughter and see Wynonna’s small grin.

 

It made her feel warm and fuzzy inside without the aid of any alcohol.

 

“I tried to tell JFK over here that you wouldn’t want this to drink,” Wynonna shouted while handing a cocktail over, “but she insisted that she knew her girlfriend.” Wynonna rolled her eyes before plopping down in the seat next to her-leaving Nicole to sit across from Waverly and next to Wynonna.

 

Nicole looked between the two of them, shrugged her shoulders, and sat down. “I’ve gotten most of the references so far,” Nicole admitted, “but why JFK?” Waverly had to admit she had been wondering the same thing. Thankfully her sister hadn’t realized that she didn’t know Nicole’s last name yet. She didn’t want to have to deal with the jokes and embarrassing puns that would come with that territory.

 

Wynonna, for her part, smirked and threw back a shot glass. “Y’know, ‘cause his head went,” and then she made some weird exploding noises while pointing at her head. Nicole’s eyes bugged out of their sockets while she still didn’t really understand what was happening. “Blood…red? You have red hair?”

 

“I got it, Wynonna,” Nicole sighed before running her fingers through her hair self-consciously. She eyed the girl as she pulled out her Waverly Earp loaned cell phone and began to type furiously. Within seconds, she felt her own phone vibrating in her back pocket. Forcing herself to act aloof so that Wynonna wouldn’t speculate that they were texting in front of her, she pulled the phone out.

 

**NH:** _We should have dyed my hair beforehand._

**WE:** _I’m so sorry, baby._

She heard Nicole coughing and sputtering and looked at the girl to see what was wrong. The beer bottle she had been holding had tipped over. In her haste to get up and away from the table, Nicole shot up out of the seat. “I need to go. To the bathroom.”

 

Before she could ask her if she wanted company, Nicole was gone. “What the fuck did you text her,” Wynonna casually questioned while reaching for the cell phone she had left out on the table. She hadn’t said anything wrong, had she? She snatched the phone out of her sister’s hands before looking at her previous message.

 

Instantaneously, she felt horrified. Why had she called Nicole baby in a text? Wynonna would never read their messages. Okay, sure, she might, but she had no reason whatsoever to call the girl by the term of endearment through a text message. “I’ll go get her a refill,” Wynonna stood up from the table and made her way back to the bar despite having only sat down minutes before.

 

Deciding that she needed to find Nicole and apologize, she caught her sister’s attention and pointed to the bathroom. Earning a nod from the brunette, she made her way through the crowded bar and into the women’s bathroom. Surprisingly enough, there weren’t any people in. She was poised to knock on a stall door, knowing it had to be Nicole but held off upon realizing she was on her phone.

 

“Shae, now isn’t a good time,” Nicole’s voice carried. Why was Shae trying to get in touch with Nicole? She scooted a bit closer to the stall and hoped that no one would walk in and assume she was being some sort of weirdo with an affinity for listening in to people’s phone conversations. “I’m gone for spring break. No, no. I’m not lying. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” At the last bit, Nicole chuckled.

 

She heard Nicole sigh and she could imagine the redhead using her free hand to rub at her temple. It had been something she did when she was frustrated. “Purgatory.” At that, Waverly wanted to scoff. If Nicole started reading off directions to the homestead, then they were going to have problems. Nicole was supposed to be her girlfriend for the week. It would certainly not work out if Nicole had an ex-lover showing up to spoil the fun. Wynonna would think they were a thruple or something! “I can’t do this right now,” Nicole whispered. “I’ll call you later. I promise. Now just isn’t the time.” With that, she heard the door unlocking and knew she had to make herself seem as though she hadn’t been listening in even though she had definitely been doing that. “Waverly, hey,” Nicole stated upon opening the door. “What’s up?”

 

“I wanted to make sure you were alright. You kind of ran off,” she laughed awkwardly.

“I’m fine. Did you try your drink,” she questioned before stepping around and walking to the sink. “If you hated it, it’s fine, Waves,” she added after realizing that she hadn’t earned a response. She had been too busy watching Nicole. All of her motions were so fluid and confident. She even made washing her hands look sexy somehow.

 

“I did not,” she finally answered once Nicole was drying her hands. “I was worried I had upset you,” she admitted with ease. At that, Nicole quit making eye contact through the mirror and turned around so that they were facing each other.

 

“Waverly, you didn’t,” she whispered before taking a step closer. “You’re, you’re just so…”

 

“So…what?” She looked up into warm honey-colored eyes and watched as the redhead took three steps towards her so that they were merely inches apart. Somehow, despite traveling on the bus, making it through town in Gus’ cramped truck, and spending the afternoon being grilled by Wynonna at the homestead, had done nothing to hinder Nicole’s beauty.

 

“You didn’t upset me,” she whispered, reaching out to touch Waverly’s neck. She traced her fingers over her collarbone and back up to her jaw, leaving goosebumps in her wake. “You made me want…”

 

“Yes.” She didn’t know what the hell she was saying yes to. Nicole hadn’t asked her a question. Instead, she could practically taste Nicole’s words from how close they were. Strong hands caressed her face for a moment longer before she could feel Nicole leaning down. Without thinking, she pushed forward, eager to accept whatever it was that Nicole was offering.

 

The bathroom door slammed open, startling them both apart from each other. “I knew it,” Wynonna shouted, pointing at the both of them. “Either one of you was taking a shit or you were trying to bump uglies in a stall. Didn’t even have the decency to make it to a stall,” she scoffed.

 

“Hi, Wynonna,” Nicole offered before moving toward the door. “I’m going to go back out there. See what all the fuss is about here.” Wynonna stepped aside and waited for Waverly to make her way back out as well.

 

“Did you have to do that,” she snapped, once Nicole was out of the bathroom and far out of earshot. Wynonna squinted, obviously unaware that she had interrupted some sort of moment. “Forget it. Let’s go out there before stupid Carl tries to hit on Nicole.” Wynonna snickered but instantly turned to leave, knowing that Carl hit on anything with a pulse. She hadn’t expected Wynonna to stop walking once they had reached the bar and ran right into the back of her sister.

 

“It’s worse than stupid Carl, baby girl,” she heard Wynonna call. Stepping around her sister, she looked around for signs of Nicole and found her at the table with their drinks.

 

“No freakin’ way,” she scowled. She easily side-stepped Wynonna and grabbed her sister’s arm before pulling her through the (somehow even more crowded since going to the bathroom) bar and back to their table. She could see that Nicole was uncomfortable and not exactly thrilled about the situation she had been put in, but damn it if she still wasn’t a cutie.

 

“Hardy,” Wynonna called, saving Waverly from having to actually get his attention. He spun around, stupid grin on his face and looked at Wynonna. It didn’t take him long to notice that she was there too. His eyes lit up and, in his haste, to step closer to her, he spilled beer all over the front of his shirt.

 

“Waverly, baby, I didn’t know you’d be here tonight. Wynonna told me you were coming back, but damn,” he eyed over her and winked.

 

“Do we need to get you a bib, Champ,” Wynonna questioned with an eyeroll while gesturing at his clothes. He laughed the insult off before plopping down in the spare seat by Nicole. Following suit, Wynonna took her seat opposite of Champ, leaving Waverly to sit on the other side of Nicole. Clearly her sister was doing whatever she could to keep Champ away from her.

 

“So, have you found a boyfriend at school, Waves? Does he know about the man you left behind?”

 

Well, he wasn’t wasting any time. She glanced at Nicole, afraid of what emotion she would find on the redhead’s face. She didn’t want Nicole to meet Champ ever. But on their first night? How had they managed to get so unlucky?

 

“She’s not interested,” Wynonna answered for her. Nicole was simply tearing a napkin apart while looking around the table. It was clearly some sort of nervous energy that she was just trying to get out of her system. Waverly couldn’t blame her. She wondered if Nicole thought that she was a loser for dating Champ.

 

“Jesus, Wynonna,” he grunted, “let her answer.” He then looked at Nicole. “What about you, babe? You got a boyfriend? I’m a pretty big deal around here,” he winked.

 

“I’m not from around here,” was all Nicole offered back. “Wynonna, how do we know that these drinks weren’t messed with while we were in the bathroom?” At that, Wynonna rolled her eyes.

 

“It’s Purgatory, you dumb rent-a-cop. It’s fine.” At that, she tossed her shot back and sighed. She briefly wondered how many shots Wynonna had gotten at this point. She could see Nicole’s jaw tighten and knew that they were definitely in for a long night if Champ and Wynonna didn’t start to play nice.

 

“Yeah, because worrying about Waverly being taken advantage of is so hilarious,” Nicole spat back.

 

“I’m here,” Champ interjected. “I can protect all of you, ladies,” he winked, maybe? She wasn’t sure what his face was doing. Waverly wanted to throw up. “So, is Nicole a school friend?” He seemed genuinely curious and it made her feel bad. At one point, she had genuinely cared about Champ. He had been her first everything. A part of her wondered if they could be friends someday.

 

“Yeah,” Nicole answered for her before crossing her arms over her chest. “A friend from school.” Wynonna, more interested in stealing the drinks from everyone else than paying attention to the conversation, just snorted.

 

“Waves,” he smiled, “why don’t we go back to my place? You can tell me all about what you’ve learned in school,” he wiggled his eyebrows and puffed his chest out. There was no doubt in her mind that Champ Hardy believed he was a gift to all of womankind. She glanced at Nicole who had, so far, not done anything to claim her in front of the dense-headed jock.

 

Had this been years ago while she had dated Champ, he would have been slobbering all over her to claim her in front of any other potential suitors. She wondered if Nicole was being aloof because they weren’t technically together or because she didn’t care one way or another if she went home with Champ.

 

Then a thought crossed her mind. Was Nicole thinking about Shae? Was Nicole regretting whatever weird moment they shared in the bathroom and was now back to thinking about the ex that was seemingly trying to insert herself back into Nicole’s life? “I’m with Nicole,” she explained. Champ’s grin never faltered.

 

“That’s okay, babe. We can wait until she’s not here,” he winked at Nicole. “She’ll have to go home sometime, eh?”

 

“Rodeo clown,” Wynonna interrupted, “let’s put this into terms you can understand,” she slightly slurred. For the second time that day, Waverly’s ‘Wynonna Sense’ was tingling, and she knew that her sister was about say something completely and utterly stupid, “you ride ponies. Waverly rides Nicole.”

 

“Oh my god, Wynonna!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hit me up on [twitter](https://twitter.com/mmetcalfe91) or [tumblr](https://superstitious-pigeons.tumblr.com)
> 
> I'd love to meet some Earpers that I don't already know!


	7. Chapter VII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this update took a long time. Sorry about that. Anyway, thank you guys for reading and commenting! I certainly enjoy all the feedback.

Wynonna’s outburst at Shorty’s was purely to grate on Champ’s nerves, Waverly knew that. Still, she couldn’t help but want to drag her sister out by her ear and give her a stern talking to; however, the pure look of horror that had crossed Nicole’s face had been reason enough to put the Wynonna scolding on hold.

Then there had been stupid, ignorant Champ. At some point his yellow and white plaid shirt had come off leaving him with an ugly, beer-stained muscle shirt that she knew was a cry for attention from women. After all, she had dated the buffoon once upon a time, which was how she _also_ knew that Wynonna’s comment had flown right over his overly gelled head. He had begun laughing awkwardly as soon as Wynonna’s cackling had kicked in. While Waverly had certainly been smart enough to nab valedictorian at Purgatory High, her common sense was sorely lacking if Champ Hardy were anything to go by.

And so, the evening at Shorty’s had been ruined. She hadn’t even wanted to go out on their first night in her hometown, but somehow Wynonna had talked them into it and effectively ruined the outing. Nicole had ignored her, choosing instead to play pool with some of the locals while Wynonna took turns downing shot after shot and flirting with some mustached man that looked a few years too old for her.

She had wrongfully assumed that Nicole’s mood would lift after leaving the bar. Instead, she had led Waverly to the driver’s side of the truck and helped her in before grabbing Wynonna by the waist and helping the drunk Earp into the Ford. It had angered her that Nicole was so blatantly upset with her that she had resorted to ignoring her and refusing to sit by her. No, instead, she chose to sit by Wynonna who had curled into the redhead’s side and mumbled incoherently about shooting revenants-whatever that even meant.

At one point she genuinely considered hitting a pothole just to receive some sort of acknowledgement from Nicole. After all, it had worked when Wynonna had done it after picking them up from the bus station. Still, she didn’t want to wake up her sister and have to deal with a mopey _and_ drunk Wynonna. It was the reason they had gotten themselves into the entire mess to begin with: a drunken Wynonna apologizing profusely for “ruining Waverly’s life and chance at happiness.”

The drive to the homestead was quiet, and while she and Nicole were more than capable of having moments of comfortable silence between them, the drive was not one of those moments. If it weren’t for the occasional grunt or snort coming from her sister, she might have felt the need to simply drive off the side of the road to get out of the awkward exchange. After a particularly loud noise from Wynonna, she glanced over to see that her own sister was groping Nicole! Her head was nestled in the crook of Nicole’s neck while her left hand was cupping Nicole’s…boob.

“Your sister is a handsy drunk, Earp,” Nicole chuckled before gently peeling Wynonna’s hand off of her. Not even a second later Wynonna’s hand had found its place back upon the perfectly…healthy…looking breast. She rolled her eyes at herself. She was a grown woman, for crying out loud. If she wanted to look at Nicole’s body then she could…within reason, anyway. Feminism, right? “Waves?”

“Oh,” she snorted, “ _now_ you want to talk,” she grumbled. She wasn’t sure what angered her most: Wynonna making it to second base with Nicole or the fact that Nicole was letting it happen!

“Waverly,” Nicole sighed. And Waverly knew what that sigh meant. She had heard it a million times in her life: when her father had blamed her for Michelle leaving, when Sheriff Nedley had picked Wynonna and her up from the homestead in the middle of the night with the news about Daddy and Willa, when Champ had told her she wasn’t smart enough to go to college and instead should have followed him on the rodeo circuit as his cheerleader, and when Wynonna had abruptly informed her that Purgatory wasn’t big enough for her. The sigh had always brought forth a letdown in her life.

“Abs,” Wynonna interrupted, hand leaving Nicole’s breast to trail under her shirt, _and seriously_ , Wynonna? She might have been out of it, but she was certainly coherent enough to fondle her sister’s significant other! Even if she and Nicole weren’t actually together, Wynonna didn’t know that. Then a terrifying thought struck her-what if Wynonna was attracted to Nicole? And worse than that-what if Nicole liked her back?

“Waverly,” Nicole drawled, plucking the eldest Earp’s hands from under her shirt and placing them gently in her own lap, “I’m sorry.” Hearing those two words made her head spin and not from any weird late-blooming alcohol induced haze.

“You-you’re sorry?” She didn’t risk looking over at Nicole, fearful that the perceptive woman would know that her heart was beating out of her chest. Instead she focused on the dark roads of Purgatory and cursed herself for not being as familiar as she should have been with the location of the homestead. She quickly put a blinker on, realizing that she was almost past the turn she needed to take.

She heard Nicole laugh to herself, no doubt realizing that Waverly was lost. It was then that she felt strong hands squeezing at her shoulder. Somehow in the midst of having Wynonna clinging to her like some sort of koala, Nicole had managed to soothe her with a gentle brush of the tips of her fingers.

“I just didn’t know what to do for you in that moment.” A moment of silence enveloped them, and she briefly wondered if Nicole had finished talking. “Wynonna essentially outed you in your hometown. I didn’t know if you wanted to brush it off…all things considering.”

And she easily understood what it was that Nicole was implying. Nicole knew that she wasn’t in a relationship with a girl. Nicole knew that Purgatory was a small town. She knew that Waverly hadn’t exactly had it easy growing up there. Despite being out herself, Nicole wanted Waverly to have control over who knew they were _together._ The whole ruse was for Wynonna’s sake. There was no point in the entire town knowing that she had brought Nicole home as anything more than a friend.

The more she thought about it the more she realized that she didn’t actually care what anyone else thought. Nicole had, in the span of a few weeks, become someone that she genuinely cared for and admired. If people had a problem with Nicole because she liked women? Then that just sucked balls.

“No,” she whispered into the night. “You, Nicole Haught, are here as my girlfriend. I don’t care who knows it. Anyone would be lucky to have you.” She nodded to herself before enjoying the warm feeling that was spreading over her.

“Hot?” Wynonna’s slurred voice cried out. “Your last name is Hot? Hoo-hoo, Waveslerly, good job.” She then proceeded to purr and pass out. If Nicole’s quiet giggling hadn’t been the cutest sound she had ever heard, she would have stopped the truck and thrown Wynonna out. They had made it onto Earp land so it wouldn’t have been _too_ much of a walk for her.

As soon as they _finally_ managed to make it to the homestead, Nicole was out of the truck and running over to open the door for her. While Wynonna was incoherent beyond the point of seeing the chivalrous act, Waverly felt her stomach flutter. “I would walk you to the front door, but I feel as though your sister might need my help more than you,” she whispered into her ear before pulling away. Her lips had been so close to touching the shell of her ear that each individual word has sent tingles down her spine.

“I highly doubt that,” she huffed under her breath before grabbing Wynonna’s keys from the truck and making her way up the steps of the porch. She looked through the various keys on the keychain and grabbed the one that she assumed went to the house. Easing the key into the lock of the homestead, she met no resistance. “Seriously, Wy,” she grumbled. “Who leaves their house unlocked in the middle of nowhere?” Quickly making her way inside long enough to turn the porch light on, she went back out the front door and watched Nicole practically carry Wynonna in.

On the one hand, she was mad that Wynonna had spent their first night together getting shitfaced…but on the other hand, she wouldn’t get to see Nicole’s biceps flexing under the weight of the wasted brunette had she been sober. Rather than offer to help, she simply stood and gawked.

“Where does she go,” Nicole questioned upon entering the house. While Waverly could assume that Wynonna slept in their parent’s old bedroom, she wasn’t entirely sure.

“Just…put her on the couch. I’ll go find some blankets and a trash can.” She looked around the house and felt the urge to just cry. She hadn’t been to the place in such a long time. It was bizarre seeing it so lived in again. “Get it together, Waverly,” she pleaded with herself before looking in what used to be the linen closet.

One task down, she thought to herself while grabbing at a scratchy blanket. She then entered the first-floor bathroom and grabbed the waste basket that had been placed near the toilet. Not only was it too late for her to look at how Wynonna had made the house her home, she didn’t feel ready. Instead, she eased out of the bathroom and slinked back towards the living room.

She could hear Nicole talking to Wynonna, but she wasn’t close enough to hear what about. She cursed the redhead for whispering and decided to use her stealthy moves to effectively eavesdrop. Clutching the trash can under one arm and the blanket under the other, she eased along the wall until she was within hearing range.

“She’s really worried about being here. She doesn’t think I can tell, but I can. You need to get your shit together, Wynonna.” Then she heard Nicole’s bitter laugh. “I wouldn’t be saying any of this to you if you were actually awake. I think you wouldn’t like me being with your sister, but she’s just so good. So, you need to make this trip mean something to her. Because she’s gone through a lot of trouble for this. For you.”

She felt the tears falling down her face before she even knew she was crying. She furiously wiped the wet tracks away as best as she could with the hand that held the blanket and waited a few more seconds before waltzing back in the room and shaking the items in some awkward manner that she hoped conveyed a message akin to “I just got back from my errands, of course I didn’t eavesdrop.”

“I got her boots off, but that’s about it,” Nicole offered with her signature dimpled grin. “I figured I would let you handle the rest of it,” she gestured at all the leather and smirked.

“Nope,” Waverly quickly responded. “She can sleep in her clothes. She’s lucky we didn’t leave her at Shorty’s.” Nicole chuckled before leaving the room. She placed the bucket near Wynonna’s head on the couch before unfolding the blanket and covering her with the material.

“Here,” Nicole whispered, effectively scaring her. She had seen Nicole leave the room but had not heard her come back. She turned to see kind eyes holding out a glass of water and two pills. It made her wonder what it would feel like to be taken care of by Nicole. She could vaguely imagine being in her bed at the apartment, throat aching and nose running. Nicole would ease in the room after basketball practice, her backpack slung over her muscular shoulders with a container of vegetarian vegetable soup in her hand and a smile on her face. “Waverly, you okay?” She would smile and beckon Nicole forwards resulting in a cuddle session that lasted… “Waverly? Waves?”

“Fudgenuggets,” she cursed before grabbing the water and medicine from Nicole and setting it on the coffee table. Before Nicole could ask what had happened, she turned a lamp on and then flipped the light switch, effectively turning the overhead light off. “We should go upstairs,” she offered as a vague explanation. Nodding, Nicole simply followed her lead.

“Was this little Waverly’s room,” Nicole questioned from behind her once they had made it up the stairs and into the biggest bedroom of the second floor.

“It was Willa’s.” She hadn’t appreciated that Willa’s old room was where Wynonna had placed them, but it wasn’t as though she could refuse the bedroom. Crossing the threshold, she turned the lights on.

“Oh,” was all that Nicole offered. “Well, where did you sleep?” Whether it was the fact that she had endured a long day (the bus ride alone would have been enough to make the day unsatisfying but combined with a trip to Shorty’s and an already drunk Wynonna) or the fact that she was in her childhood home, sleeping in the bedroom of her deceased (asshole) sister, she wasn’t sure, but the look she shot Nicole was enough to have her looking away sheepishly.

“I’m tired, Nicole.” With that she began to undress. She would have been more modest about things had she been in a better mood, but all she wanted in that moment was to fall asleep.

“I’ll go find somewhere else to sleep.” She abruptly turned around and opened her mouth to respond before realizing that Nicole’s mouth was open, and she was looking at her…chest? Realizing she had been caught, the redhead covered her eyes awkwardly. The sight of Nicole Haught standing in the doorway with her hands covering her eyes instantly sent the brunette into a fit of laughter. Upon seeing Nicole peek through her fingers to see what exactly it was that Waverly was laughing at, she began to laugh harder.

“You’re so stupid, Nicole,” she smiled. Walking to the doorway she grabbed Nicole by her hands and dragged her into the room. “You can sleep in the bed.”

“I’ll take the floor?” Nicole’s flushed cheeks were the most adorable things she had seen that day alone. She rubbed the pads of her thumbs against the basketball player’s knuckles and sighed. Those hands were incredibly strong and yet so soft. Strong enough to shoot basketballs and lift weights and lug Wynonna around but soft enough to caress her as though she were the most precious thing that Nicole had been able to hold in her life. It was alarming the way that Nicole had her feeling with just a look or a touch.

She rolled her eyes and pushed at Nicole’s chest having momentarily forgotten that she was just standing there in her bra and shorts. “I’m not going to force you to sleep in the bed with me, but I…I wouldn’t mind if maybe…” she looked down quickly, feeling embarrassed at what she was going to request. Sweet and caring Nicole, however, used the tips of her fingers to bring Waverly’s chin back up, forcing them to lock eyes.

“You don’t ever have to be afraid to ask me somethin’, Waves,” she gingerly let of Waverly’s chin and moved her right hand through brunette tresses. “I promise.”

Deep breaths to calm herself and then a quiet, “I want you to hold…I would like you.” The look of genuine confusion that befell Nicole was almost enough to make Waverly feel less stupid, but rather than give in (she’d already made it that far, thank you) she grabbed at Nicole’s bicep and curled her fingers against the muscle. “I want to be held. By you. In the bed.”

Red heat washed over her face as she prayed for the apocalypse to begin or even a never-ending hole to appear beneath her feet. She would rather deal with the feeling of falling forever than feel the embarrassment that came with asking someone to spoon you. In the midst of her attempt to figure out how to create a time machine to undo the previous three to five minutes, she missed out on the megawatt smile that had made its way onto Nicole’s face. “I would really love that,” Nicole’s words were emphasized with a squeeze of her hands, “but first I’m gonna go the bathroom and get ready for bed.”

With Nicole out of the bedroom, she shimmied out of her bra and threw on one of Nicole’s newer basketball t-shirts-this time from college. Normally she would have forgone pants but the thought of her bare legs skimming against any part of Nicole’s body was enough to have her body thrumming with an electricity that she couldn’t quite place. She eased some cotton shorts on and made her way out into the hallway so that she and Nicole could trade spots.

After she’d finished brushing her teeth, she made her way back to Willa’s old bedroom and sighed. She didn’t know if sleep would come easy or if she would be kept awake by ghosts and memories of what felt like lifetimes ago. She would have Nicole by her side though. With that thought keeping her brave, she entered the bedroom to find that the taller girl had already gotten in bed.

“Come on,” Nicole whispered while pulling the blanket and sheet back so that she could ease into the bed.

The bedding didn’t smell old or completely unused. She wondered if Wynonna had washed the sheets before they had made it to Purgatory, but that didn’t seem like a Wynonna thing to do. If anything, she was surprised that they weren’t relegated to the barn out back. Regardless, she appreciated that Wynonna had tried to make her feel comfortable in a place that brought her no comfort at all.

As Nicole’s arms wrapped around her, however, she realized that nothing made her feel safer and content than being held. Rather than freak out about the implications behind it, she snuggled back into the body behind her and fell asleep to warm hands running through her hair and massaging her scalp.

~~~~

She vaguely remembered falling asleep as soon as her head had hit the pillow, which was kind of embarrassing. She wondered if Nicole had fallen asleep soon after. She realized that the bedside lamp was still turned on despite it being early morning and that Nicole was not in the bed. She didn’t know what time it was exactly, but she could give an educated guess based on the lights shining through the window.

Confused as to where the redhead had gone, she eased out of the bed and began to walk to the other side of the room. Immediately she was welcomed to the sight of a lump on the floor. Angry that Nicole had gotten out of bed at some point, she brought her fists to her sides in an attempt to keep from punching the other girl. She had a flimsy throw pillow cradled beneath her head and was covered with a spare hoodie that had a unicorn riding a rainbow on it.  Her mouth was slightly open, and a notebook was perched on her chest. She knew that Nicole had been holding her as she fell asleep, but they had obviously stopped cuddling at some point if Nicole had time to make a nest on the floor and read a book.

She tip-toed to Nicole’s side and eased the spiral notebook out of pale hands and went to close the notebook before her own name caught her eye. She quickly looked at Nicole to judge how out of it she was and upon realizing she wouldn’t be waking up soon, she eased herself down on the rug that was placed next to the bed.

The page had been looked at a lot if the running ink and scribbles were to tell her anything. She gasped upon seeing what exactly it was she was looking at. Her name had a simple heart next to it, but the rest of the page was filled with names of anyone she had ever talked about to Nicole.

_Waverly Earp <3_

_Wynonna Earp: sister. 6 yr age difference. Spent time in Greece. Likes whiskey (might be an alcoholic??)_

_Gus McCready-aunt. Raised waverly. Doesn’t like being called ma’am_

_Curtis McCready-uncle. Prized possessions=tomato garden. Not sure how to use that to impress._

_Chrissy Nedley-weirdo friend who was overly flirty with me. Waverly’s roommate. Friends with Jeremy and Robin?_

_Hardy James- “Champ.” (who calls themselves that) ex-boyfriend. Hopefully won’t meet him._

A grunt tore her away from reading the rest of the list. She carefully placed the book back into Nicole’s arms and eased out of the bedroom. She was entirely overwhelmed with emotion and knew she needed a moment to herself.

The dumb jock had legitimately taken notes so that she would do well around Waverly’s family. As though her emotions had finally reached their tipping point, she felt the telltale signs of tears forming. “Get it together,” she scolded herself before easing back into the bedroom. She needed to grab a change of clothes so that she could take a shower and make herself presentable for the day-especially since Nicole was still sleeping, and she knew Wynonna would definitely be knocked out.

“Mornin’, beautiful,” Nicole mumbled, voice rough from lack of use. She blushed at the compliment before a thought crossed her mind. Her eyes weren’t open, but she was clearly awake. Had she been caught going through Nicole’s notes?

“Your eyes aren’t even open,” she joked, “I could look like an actual troll.”

“Mmm nope. Not possible,” Nicole retorted before rolling over onto her stomach. “Oof,” she groaned. “I’m sore.”

“No one told you to sleep on the floor,” Waverly snapped. She should have been grateful that Nicole was kind enough to let her have the bed. It was a lousy twin sized mattress after all and they would have been in cramped quarters, but there was a niggling in the back of her mind that wondered if Nicole slept on the floor because she didn’t want to be that close to her.

At this, Nicole instantly rolled back over and sat up. “Are you…are you mad that I didn’t sleep with you?” Even with dark circles under her eyes, the look on Nicole’s face could only be described as breathtaking.

“I’m going to go ahead and take a shower,” she bent down and pressed a kiss onto soft auburn locks before realizing what she had done. “Bye,” she screeched, pulling away from Nicole as though she had been burned. She grabbed her duffel bag and high-tailed it out of the bedroom, refusing to deal with her problems head-on.

The problem was that of a 5’9 basketball player who was driving her insane. She constantly craved Nicole’s attention. If those amber eyes were focused on her then she felt as though she were being bathed in sunlight. Nicole was a flame and she was just a simple moth. It was incredibly confusing, and she didn’t do confusing. No. Waverly Earp liked things to be simple, clear, and concise.

Which her odd relationship with Nicole was anything but.

~~

After breakfast, which had consisted of toast and jelly, the trio set off to the McCready ranch. Waverly was a bundle of nerves, unsure of what her aunt and uncle would think of her relationship with Nicole.

As she fiddled with the dials for the radio, she thought about how difficult it must be for Nicole. She was falling apart over the idea of coming out to her family, which was something she couldn’t foresee having to do much longer, but Nicole had a lifetime of coming out of the closet ahead of her. It angered her that people felt so compelled to label everything including themselves. Why couldn’t she just be Waverly Earp, lover of good people?

The truck sputtered as Wynonna shifted into park and grunted, “get out of the truck, weirdos.” She was still hung over and slightly angry at being awake before noon, but Waverly knew she would get over it eventually. Wynonna fell out of the blue Ford and made her way to the front porch, leaving her with Nicole. She would have to thank her sister later for giving her a few spare minutes with Nicole before they inevitably walked the plank.

She slid her hands over her high-waisted jeans in some sort of attempt to get her sweaty palms to feel less disgusting. She poked Nicole’s side upon realizing that the redhead wasn’t making any effort to get out of the truck. “Waverly,” Nicole reached over and pressed a warm hand over her own, “I really don’t want you to have to do something you’re not comfortable with,” she pulled her hand away quickly after that and began to glance out the window.

With little effort, she reached around Nicole and popped the door open. Using Nicole’s height against her, she began to poke at the redhead’s side, prompting Nicole to laugh freely. “Alright, I give,” she held her hands up. Not one to care much for surrenders, Waverly continued to assault Nicole’s ribs. “Sheesh, lady, stop it,” Nicole growled before pulling herself out of reach from the brunette. “Catch me if you can,” she smirked before taking off down the gravel road.

“Not so fast,” Waverly shouted, quick to follow suit. She slammed the door to the truck shut and took after the redhead. While Nicole might have had her long legs on her side, Waverly knew the land.

“Knock it off, dweebs,” Wynonna shouted from the porch. Her momentum was already going, however, and she instantly slammed into a still Nicole.

“Oh darn,” Nicole huffed as she fell to the gravel. “This is the second time you’ve gotten me on my back, Waverly Earp,” she laughed at her own joke, clearly remembering the aftermath of their first coffee date.

“You… I…” Waverly sputtered, before slapping her palm against Nicole’s chest. Before she knew what had happened, she was rolled over. The gravel against her back was scratchy, but Nicole had eased her own hand around the back of Waverly’s neck to ensure that the brunette’s head didn’t take any scratches. The athlete’s other hand began to trace the freckles on Waverly’s cheeks.

“Can I k-

Instantly, drops of water rained down on them. A startled shriek tore its way from Waverly, who clung to the girl on top of her in an attempt to keep dry.

“You two looked like cats in heat,” she heard Wynonna call from several feet away. “You guys needed to cool off.” Almost immediately the water stopped, and a water-logged Nicole looked into her eyes.

“Are you okay,” the taller girl questioned, concern clearly written on her face. Before she could truly get to answer the question, she was thrown back into the moment they had shared only seconds before. Was Nicole going to kiss her?!

And more importantly, why did she have the feeling that she would have let her?

She felt Nicole roll off of her and frowned. She had enjoyed the comfort that came with Nicole’s body weight distributed over her own. Before she could dwell on it, the girl in question was towering over her with an outstretched hand. Eager to accept, she let Nicole pull her to her feet.

The laughter that fell from her mouth as soon as she took in Nicole’s drenched form was purely unintentional. She genuinely hoped that it didn’t make the tall girl angry, but she immediately stopped that train of thought as soon as she saw the dimpled grin that was on her… _girlfriend_ ’s face.

She watched as Nicole opened her arms and began to walk over to her, “do I look like a drowned rat?” At that question, Waverly found herself looking at the girl. Her wet hair had already begun to curl, and her clothes looked as though they weighed a thousand pounds on Nicole’s pale frame.

Waverly shook her head “no,” and pulled the redhead in by her belt loops.

“Look, I get that you’re _both_ all wet, but we don’t have time for this,” Wynonna explained while shoving Nicole and Waverly back toward the direction of the front porch. With all the excitement that had gone on, a crowd had formed.

“But I didn’t get wet,” she replied, thankful that Nicole had taken the brunt of Wynonna’s cruelty.

“Yeah, okay,” Wynonna snorted before poking Nicole in the ribs. She had no clue what Wynonna was joking about, but it clearly made the redhead uncomfortable. The blush that had spread over Nicole’s face rivaled the color of her hair for crying out loud!

_Well,_ Waverly thought to herself, _this is it._ She was going to introduce Nicole. As her actual girlfriend. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach and the tingles that raced down her spine. She was more nervous than she could ever recall being.

Gus was standing at the front door with a smile on her face and a cup of what was (probably) coffee in one hand. She realized that she had missed her aunt and uncle a lot more than what she had previously thought upon seeing the gray-haired woman.

All happy thoughts fell to the side in a fiery crash as she noted who else was perched on the porch as though they owned the place. “Waves,” the baritone of Champ’s voice greeted. He quickly ran over to her with outstretched arms in search of an embrace. “Curtis said you were coming by today, so I made sure to be waitin’ on ya,” he winked.

She looked between the adults on the porch and tried to come up with an escape route for herself…and possibly Nicole. The last thing she had wanted to do was introduce Nicole to her family with Champ present.

She watched nervously as Gus took in Nicole’s presence, sopping wet appearance and all. “Champ, make yourself useful,” she exclaimed while pointing in the direction of the backyard. “Tell Curtis that Waverly and her friend are here.”

_Friend_ , Waverly thought about the word. Nicole was her friend. That wasn’t a lie. She was fairly certain that Nicole would be more than happy to be presented simply as her friend. Something deep within her didn’t like the idea of calling Nicole a friend.

Chrissy was her friend. The relationship that she had with Nicole after such a short period of time was something else.

“Yeah, Gus,” Champ grumbled before slowly shuffling his feet away.

“Mrs. McCready, Champ,” Gus corrected, clearly unhappy with Champ’s lack of manners. The blond boy nodded before scampering away from her aunt. He stopped briefly in front of her and smiled cockily.

“Can we talk later, baby,” he crooned before placing his hands gently on the small of her waist. Before she could recoil in disgust, Nicole was at her side. Feminine hands pressed against Champ’s chest and shoved lightly. “Waverly, your friend is a bitch,” he snapped before turning away and shuffling off to the backyard.

Before she could register what was happening, she felt her aunt’s arms pulling her in for a hug. “Honey, I’ve missed you,” she whispered before placing a kiss to her cheek. She pulled back and held Waverly at arms’ length, taking in her appearance. “You look good. Happy.” At the last word she looked at Nicole.

“My dear, you look like you forgot to take your clothes off before you showered,” she chuckled, holding an outstretched hand for Nicole to shake. “I’ll hug you once we’ve got you dried up,” she added as an explanation. “What happened?”

“Your niece is what happened,” Waverly heard Nicole retort, anger lacing the words.

“Waverly got you wet?” Gus questioned, immediately earning a laugh from Wynonna.

“Yeah, she did,” Wynonna snorted, eyebrows moving suggestively while Nicole blushed furiously.

“No,” Waverly explained, putting a stop to Wynonna’s dirty-minded shenanigans, “it was Wyn.” Even though she said nothing, the look Gus gave was enough for Waverly to understand that the older woman wasn’t surprised in the least bit.

“Wynonna, go get this girl some spare clothes of Curtis and a blanket. You ought to be ashamed, girly,” the older woman scolded. The eyeroll that Wynonna sent Waverly’s way was enough for the youngest Earp to know that her sister wasn’t remotely apologetic.

“Yeah, okay. Nicole, follow me,” Wynonna groaned. Waverly didn’t want to leave Nicole to Wynonna, but she didn’t necessarily know how to explain that to Gus.

“Nicole,” Gus tried the name out before smiling at the owner of the name, “it’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, Mrs. McCready,” she responded with a genuine grin, popping that one dimple that drove Waverly insane. She knew that whoever was lucky enough to end up with Nicole would have a hard time denying her anything if that damn dimple came out to play.

“Call me Gus, honey. No one calls me Mrs. McCready unless I don’t like ‘em.” At that, Nicole began to laugh as though she shared some sort of inside joke with her aunt. She wasn’t entirely sure what she had missed, but it made her happy to see that Gus was already enjoying Nicole’s company.

Not wanting to delay the conversation that needed to happen, Wynonna grabbed Nicole’s wrist and began to pull her to the back of the house.

Was she supposed to just blurt it out right there? _Hey, what niece of yours has two thumbs and brought a girl home as her date? This one!_

She shook her head. That wouldn’t work. Was she meant to do it with Nicole by her side? She wanted the comfort that Nicole’s arms brought, but she didn’t want Nicole there if anyone was going to say something bad about them. She didn’t want Nicole to have to hear anything homophobic, not when there were already so many assholes out there anyway.

Or, was she supposed to wait and tell them at dinner? Gus and Curtis would find out at the same time. She wouldn’t have to come out to them at two separate times.

Her aunt beckoned her over and they journeyed into the living room. Despite usually taking the old thrifted chair that sat in the corner of the room, she chose the loveseat. She wanted to be able to sit next to Nicole once she was back from drying off.

“So, _Nicole_ ,” Gus chuckled before gently placing her cup of coffee on a side table and waited for Waverly to say something.

“She’s great,” Waverly gushed, unable to help herself. “She’s such an amazing person. I’ve never met someone who was so caring and compassionate, y’know?” She took a chance to look at Gus who was simply nodding her head and smiling brightly. “Umm…but…yeah.”

“Wynonna mentioned that you were bringing a date home,” she replied before picking the cup of coffee back up and taking a sip. The twinkle in her eye was giving Waverly serious uncontrollable anxiety.

“We back, bitches,” Wynonna shouted before leaping over the love seat and plopping down by Waverly. She easily ignored the look of offense on her sister’s face and placed her boot covered feet on Waverly’s legs.

“Wynonna, get up,” Waverly growled, shoving her sister’s legs off of her own lap and pushing her off the love seat. She had specifically picked the spot so that Nicole could sit next to her. Clearly anyone with a brain should have been able to pick up on that.

…then again, it was Wynonna she was thinking of.

“It’s fine, Waves,” a timid voice spoke from behind them. She quickly turned around and gasped at the outfit change that had taken place. Instead of something of her uncle’s, Nicole had been forced into tight leather pants and some sort of black v-neck shirt with a band’s name on it that she didn’t recognize.

Gus laughed before motioning the redhead over. “Wynonna,” the brunette looked at her aunt and rolled her eyes before begrudgingly getting up from the sofa. “Now, either Curtis has been hiding things from me or that is most certainly not from his closet,” she joked, earning a genuine laugh from Nicole.

Waverly still hadn’t processed the girl in question’s outfit.

“Wynonna,” she offered as explanation.

“Yep,” her sister affirmed. “I knew I had some clothes in here from my high school days. Besides, Red obviously needs to let loose now if she’s going to be a narc.” Waverly watched as Gus’s face went through a mixture of emotions and prayed that her aunt didn’t share the same feelings towards cops as everyone else in her family. Her father had been an officer of the law, and not many people had respected Ward Earp. He was as crooked as they came. She hadn’t known that growing up, obviously, but later on, she had heard the whispers about her family name.

“That’s…real honorable, Nicole,” Gus finally offered with a small smile. “So, are you guys going to tell me what’s going on or do I need to get Champ Hardy back in here as some sort of torture? Surely being stuck in a room with that ignorant fool would have even the most hardened criminal talking.” At that comment, she bit her lip. She had known that Gus and Curtis hadn’t been crazy about Champ, but she didn’t realize that there was actual animosity between them all.

“Jeez, that makes waterboarding look like a cake walk,” Nicole mumbled. She clearly thought no one had heard the jab, but Gus’s loud laughter had the redhead blushing.

Wynonna groaned, earning the attention of everyone in the room. “Here’s the deal, Gus,” she began only to be cut out by an angry Waverly.

“No, no,” she chided, “you aren’t doing this for me, Wynonna.” She looked at the blue-eyed woman and felt satisfaction upon seeing defeat written on her face. She then looked at Nicole who was looking at Waverly in a way that she hadn’t seen…well, anyone look at her. Ever.

“I wanted to wait until uncle Curtis was here, too, but what the hell,” she threw her hands up before jumping off the smaller couch and walking over to Nicole. She grabbed the redhead’s palm and briefly wondered if it was Nicole’s hand or her own that was sweaty. “Wynonna was right. I brought a date home.”

“Okay,” Gus responded with a wave of her hand as though Waverly had just told her that the sky was blue.

“I brought Nicole home,” she tried again, looking at Nicole for some sort of help. Was her aunt so behind on the times that she didn’t even know that there was an LGBT population out there? Nicole looked at her softly and squeezed her hand, and it was all the reassurance that she needed. “Nicole is my date. My girlfriend. I like her. The way I liked Champ.”

“Lordy, I hope not,” Gus guffawed.

She felt her stomach fall out of her butt. Her shoulders sagged. Laughter had never been something she had expected as a reaction.

“Hey, you old bag of bones,” Wynonna snapped, effectively scaring her and everyone else in the room. “Nicole is a loser, sure, but don’t treat Waverly like that. She’s the best of us.”

Tears began to prick at her eyes. Her sister was standing up for her. It was all she had ever wanted growing up, and now she was finally getting to have the relationship that she had so dearly craved and wanted.

“Wait a minute, young lady,” Gus interjected, face red and hands shaking, “I only meant that I hoped your sister liked her,” she looked at Nicole, “her girlfriend,” she questioned, receiving a nod from Waverly, “more than Hardy. He was a fool. This girl at least has common sense.” At that, the tears that had begun to prick her eyes earlier began to fall freely and openly. Nicole wrapped strong arms around her and cooed soothing words into her ear, swaying them back and forth.

“It’s alright, Waves,” she whispered. The way they moved together reminded her of the day they had shared in Nicole’s dorm room, slow dancing to some forgotten song. As she began to pull away, Waverly wanted to grab hold and not let go. Still, her aunt had just…accepted her relationship without batting an eye. She looked at Gus, who was walking over to her with arms outstretched.

After being pulled into a hug, the older woman questioned, “baby love, what is wrong?” Waverly sniffled, not wanting to add snot to the wreck of her face.

She sighed, “I was so afraid of your reaction,” she admitted sheepishly. Gus looked genuinely confused, which in turn confused her.

“Because she wants to be a cop?”

“No, God,” Waverly snapped, exasperated. Her family was seriously clueless. Even Wynonna upon picking them up had asked Waverly if she had realized her boyfriend was a girl. Something must have been done to their bloodline to remove common sense from their minds. “Because she’s a girl,” she whispered.

“Didn’t we already do this song and dance when you dated Beth Gardner?”

Wynonna cackled.

“I seriously need to meet this chick,” Nicole deadpanned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have a question for you all. Do you prefer shorter chapters with more frequent updates? Or longer chapters that take a bit longer to post? I know what's going to happen the entire fic so the long gaps between updates aren't because I've hit a block or anything-never worry about that being a problem.
> 
> And as always, come talk to me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/mmetcalfe91) or [tumblr](https://superstitious-pigeons.tumblr.com)


	8. Chapter VIII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, oh man, so much stuff going on. Hope that you guys enjoy this update. If not, I'm sorry, but it's already done.

Nicole looked at the faded candy-red barn that stood before them. Never had she been around things that were so _rustic_. She had been a city girl through and through. Having been in Purgatory for a single day had already enlightened her to how _nice_ and _peaceful_ the country could be.

 

Plus, the country was what had produced Waverly Earp. Waverly, whose smile was so bright and full that her beautiful eyes transformed into cute little crescent moons.

 

Waverly, who had quietly made a home for herself in Nicole’s heart, tugging and pulling at her heartstrings with delicate fingers.

 

The object of her affection huffed beside her, effectively drawing Nicole’s attention to her. “This is it,” she offered with a half-hearted shrug and a pout on her lips.

 

Nicole laughed, “this is a barn, Waverly.”

 

Turning to Nicole and slapping her on the chest, the brunette huffed again. “You are a shit-ticket, aren’t you?” She couldn’t help the grin that escaped. She loved hearing Waverly’s adorable curse words.

 

She put her index finger up to her chin and tapped a few times, “hmm.” Then a full out grin. “Yeah, I’ve been called worse,” she said with a laugh.

 

She knew that Waverly was effectively stalling, and to an extent, Nicole wanted to give her all the time she needed. She had no idea what this item meant to the shorter girl or why it upset her so much. “You can open the door,” she finally exhaled.

 

Using the majority of her strength, Nicole pulled the large door open and whooped at the car before them. Sensing Waverly’s unease, however, she reigned her excitement in.

 

The brunette followed behind Nicole, using the taller girl’s height in her favor. It was almost as though if Waverly couldn’t _see_ the car then it simply wasn’t there. “Waverly,” Nicole questioned before turning around to look at the smaller girl, “are you sure you want to do this?”

 

Nicole gasped upon feeling Waverly’s strong arms squeezing her. She wanted to laugh upon hearing muffled squeaks spoken into her shirt but instead chose to hold on until Waverly either felt better or knew that Nicole wasn’t going anywhere. “It was Mama’s car,” she repeated after pulling away from the warm embrace.

 

“It looks...like it’s in pretty good shape,” was the only thing Nicole found herself saying. It was true though. She had spent a summer fixing up her grandfather’s car with him. He had wanted her to know how to do simple things: oil changes, air filters, and tire changes. He didn’t want her to ever get stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire and not know how to change it out. Nor did he want asshole mechanics trying to overcharge her with the assumption that female=idiot.

 

Waverly shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know. I haven’t ridden in it since I was a little kid.” Nicole rubbed at the back of her neck and tried her damndest not to imagine a little Waverly riding through the country with the top off of the Jeep.

 

It didn’t work.

 

She could just see dark blonde hair (at least she imagined that baby Waverly had lighter hair than adult Waverly) blowing in the wind while she squealed in excitement over the rush it felt like. She could almost imagine Waverly’s mother laughing along beside her daughter. Her insides twisted upon realizing that the imaginary scenario of hers had taken a turn for the worse: the kid in the daydream wasn’t Waverly. It was Waverly’s child. The driver of the Jeep had red hair in a carefully constructed french braid and some sort of uniform on.

 

“Oh no,” Nicole whispered into the empty barn. She felt Waverly tense in her arms. “I need to go,” she offered before untangling herself from the lithe body that she had been holding.

 

She had to have accidentally huffed paint or something to cause such a weird hallucination, or whatever it was. She was in Purgatory for one reason and one reason only: money towards the academy. She wanted to take off running, to burn the images from her mind with the burning of her muscles. Wynonna’s stupid leather pants were going to prevent her from running anywhere, however.

 

“Get it together,” she repeated, over and over.

 

She heard the crunching of the grass behind her and knew that someone was trying to sneak up on her. Twirling around, she caught Waverly, watery eyes and red-nosed, holding out her cell phone to her. She had forgotten that she had given her phone and wallet after discovering that Wynonna’s pants had no pockets.

 

Realizing that her phone must have rung, Nicole grabbed the device. “Hello?”

 

_“Nicole, hey.”_ Nicole’s eyes widened.

 

She had forgotten that she was supposed to get back in touch with Shae. She briefly looked at Waverly and wondered if the wounded look she was shooting her way was because of the memories attached to her mother’s car, Nicole essentially leaving her in the barn, or having to speak to Shae on the phone. “Hey, Shae,” she plopped down in the middle of the field, knowing that the only other options were to go back in the barn and sit or walk back to the McCready’s cabin.

 

_“I know that I should have given you more time to get in touch with me,”_ Nicole laughed. It hadn’t even been a full twenty-four hours since she had spoken to Shae in the bathroom of Shorty’s bar. _“But I wanted to tell you that I was going to be in the Big City for the rest of this week. I did some digging and found out that Purgatory was only a few hours away.”_

 

She did not like where the conversation was going at all. Nicole had been honest with Waverly that day in her dorm room, spilling her guts about how she would always love Shae. It was true. Shae would always be regarded as her first love. She couldn’t hate the girl. They hadn’t split up because of love lost in the relationship.

 

She didn’t want to meet up with Shae while Waverly was in her life. She wasn’t stupid enough to think that Waverly would ever return her affections, but the idea of meeting Shae simply made her feel as though she were cheating on the angel that was Waverly Earp. “Shae,” she sighed before lying down completely in the grass.

 

_“Just wait, Nikki,”_ she interrupted. _“I just want to see you. I’ve missed you. I need to talk to you about some things that have happened.”_

 

She wanted to say no. Her relationship with Shae had left her heartbroken. It was part of the reason that she was so willing to offer up herself as some sort of paid date for others. It allowed her to keep busy and socialize without the pressures of falling for someone else. Then again, she was having weird visions of her and Waverly and some kid of theirs! That certainly was not normal or okay.

 

“Sure,” was what she said instead.

 

She could hear shuffling on the other end of the line and wondered what Shae was doing. _“Great. I’ll text you in a bit, love. I’m doing clinical rotations.”_ She made some sort of noise to acknowledge the girl before ending the call.

 

“That was Shae then,” she heard Waverly call from behind her. Flopping onto her stomach, Nicole looked up at the brunette and gasped. The glimmering sun was radiating off of Waverly and in that instant, she knew. She knew that there was no other person on the entire planet that was as beautiful as Waverly Earp. “She’s who you were talking to at the bar last night too?” She nodded, not wanting to ever lie to the girl.

 

“She wants to come to Purgatory someday this week,” Nicole admitted as she eased herself off the grassy pasture. “You ready to head back in there,” she questioned while pointing at the barn.

 

“Sure,” Waverly replied with a frown. She wished that she could erase the sadness from the girl’s face but knew that it was an impossible task.

 

Back in the dank barn, Nicole walked over to the Jeep and reached out to touch the hood of the car. “Does anyone even have the keys to this beautiful lady,” she questioned with a cheesy grin, hoping that it would distract Waverly from whatever memories she associated with the car.

 

Waverly nodded before walking over to the car as well. She followed the movement of Nicole’s hand and reached out to touch the cold metal of the Jeep. “Mama always said that when I was old enough to drive she would give me this truck when I got my license,” she offered the tidbit as she continued to walk around the vehicle. “Gus tries to give it to me at least four times a year. I’ve told her to just get rid of it.”

 

Nicole swatted at cobwebs and dust that had layered the door of the red beauty and opened it, “let’s see,” she muttered to herself while feeling around for a latch to pop the hood, “gotcha,” she shouted with excitement upon finding it. She eased herself away from the driver’s side of the car and went back to the hood, expecting to find a mess of an engine. “Here goes nothin’,” she whispered to herself, knowing that Waverly seemed to not care whether the machine worked or not.

 

“You look good like this,” she heard from behind her as she was lifting the hood and securing it in place with the hood prop. Upon processing the meaning behind Waverly’s words, her stomach fluttered, her chest burst open with emotions, and the hood of the car slipped out of her hands

 

“Holy fucking shit,” she shouted, words echoing around the barn (and probably all of Purgatory if she were being honest with herself). Thankfully her reflexes had been topnotch, but it had still scared the crap out of her. After all, she was in school on a basketball scholarship. She highly doubted that a broken hand would be conducive to playing ball.

 

She felt Waverly spin her around as though she weighed nothing. The irrational part of her brain was entirely too turned on by the notion that the brunette possessed that kind of strength. “Are you okay,” she questioned while running her hands over Nicole’s arms. She then proceeded to check every single finger for a blemish that hadn’t previously been there.

 

It was endearing, truly, Nicole thought to herself. “I’m okay, Waves. It just scared me,” she admitted while looking at the floor or the dusty barn. “They’ll live to see another day,” she explained while wiggling the fingers in front of both of their faces. “I earn my keep with them after all.” Waverly rolled her eyes and swatted her away before turning around, clearly done with the barn for the time being.

 

“I wasn’t talking about basketball,” Nicole called after her before running to catch up to her. Waverly stopped and arched an eyebrow in a manner that told Nicole she was waiting for the follow-up to the statement. She pulled out her best shit-eating grin and used the index and middle finger of her left hand to trace a line along the curves of Waverly’s face. “I was talking about something else entirely,” her voice dropped, hoping that Waverly understood what she was implying.

 

“I-uh-well,” Waverly sputtered, half-heartedly pushing Nicole away. It took everything Nicole had to not burst out laughing on the spot. Instead, she grabbed the hand that had feebly pushed her away and held it to her chest.

 

“Don’t be like that, baby,” she cooed. “I only have eyes for you.” With that, she pressed a kiss against Waverly’s thin wrist and walked toward the ranch hand’s cabin that Wynonna had gone to. “Don’t turn around. Don’t turn around,” she whispered to herself in time with each step that she took.

 

Her cocky bravado was a farce. She knew it. She was certain that Waverly knew it as well. Still, it managed to make her feel so carefree and happy when she was able to get the youngest Earp flustered. Waverly Earp was the smartest woman she had ever met, so Nicole considered it a great accomplishment to make the girl speechless.

 

She could hear Waverly marching up behind her but paid her no mind. She was more interested in the scene that was playing out in front of them. Wynonna was leaning against a rustic cabin, lust in her eyes, as Champ and the man she had seen talking to Wynonna at the bar the previous night were playing basketball. The backboard was just a slab of wood with a netless rim nailed to a post, but Nicole had to admit that it held up pretty well.

 

The man with the mustache (which was what Nicole had been calling him since she had absolutely no freaking idea who he was) seemed to be following Champ’s every move with ease, which was surprising. He didn’t look out of shape by any means, but he was older than Waverly’s ex-boyfriend and less muscular. Though as a basketball player herself, she knew that having ripped muscles didn’t necessarily mean one was a good player. She was tall and lanky herself, after all.

 

“What’s going on,” Waverly shouted from behind her. Upon hearing her voice, Champ grabbed the basketball and held it against his side and grinned. Mustache man made his way over to Wynonna who handed him a sweat rag that had been...pulled out of her bra.

 

“Gross,” Nicole gagged, earning a sharp look from the blue-eyed woman.

 

“Red, come here,” Wynonna called, waving her over. She didn’t necessarily want to go see Waverly’s sister with her object of affection, especially since it meant Champ would get to speak with Waverly without adult supervision. After taking the few steps it took to make it over to Wynonna, the dark-haired woman grabbed at her bicep and threw her at the mustached man from the bar. “This is Red,” Wynonna introduced. “What do we think of her, Doc?”

 

So Doc was his name? His blue eyes lit up with a kindness that had Nicole smiling despite herself. “Well, I-,” his suave voice began but a hand raised by Wynonna stopped him from continuing.

 

“Let me recap for you, Doc,” Wynonna countered, “she’s dating my baby sister: the apple of my eye, or whatever the hell the phrase is. She’s 8 feet tall.

 

“I’m 5’-

 

“Shut it, Red. She’s 8 feet tall. She is dating my sister. She has red hair. And the worst of the worst, Doc? She wants to be a cop. A narc. A flatfoot. She wants to become one of _them_.” Doc ran his fingers through his sweaty mop of hair and gave Nicole a good look over. She felt incredibly awkward, as though she were on some pedestal being poked and prodded at.

 

“Well,” he attempted again before looking at Wynonna to ensure she wasn’t going to interrupt. She waved for him to continue. “Well, I do believe that Miss Red here has a name, correct?” Nicole nodded, thankful that this weird countryman was going to stop the hair jokes.

 

“Nicole Haught,” she introduced with an outstretched hand. His mustache moved as he smiled. It was the most bizarre thing she had ever witnessed on a man. How did he manage to eat without getting food all in it?

 

His surprisingly soft hand grabbed her own and shook, “John Henry. You can call me Henry, or Doc, ma’am.” He then pulled his hand away from her and looked past Nicole, grumbling under his breath. “That darn boy is a fool,” he muttered.

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Wynonna whined, “we all know that Waverly is dating Nicole so Champ doesn’t stand a chance. Let him keep bothering her so we can have this interrogation without Waverly present.” At that, Nicole turned around in fear that Champ was overstepping. He looked as though he were attempting to spin the basketball on his finger. Instead, the ball fell off his finger each time he let go. She would have laughed at the situation, but Doc’s voice brought her out of her thoughts.

 

“Well, I am inclined to believe that she is more than capable of handling Miss Waverly,” he winked. “As for the flatfoot predicament, my dear,” he looked back at Wynonna with a grin, “your sister could have worse for a partner.” He then looked at Champ as though to prove his point.

 

“Yeah, okay,” Wynonna finally relented before grinning. “Hey, you know, Waverly mentioned that Nicole was a basketball player.” Nicole rolled her eyes, knowing that whatever Wynonna was trying to start would be a terrible mess of sorts.

 

Doc’s eyes lit up and he began to chuckle, “I am so sorry that you had to witness our game then, Nicole. I am not good at the sport and Mr. James over there is equally atrocious.” Nicole snorted.

 

“Go away, Champ,” Waverly’s voice called out, reaching all of them. Doc quickly stepped around her as though he were used to Champ harassing women regularly. Waverly quickly pushed past the tattooed boy and pressed herself into Nicole’s side as soon as she was within reach. Without thinking, Nicole wrapped her arm around the brunette and let her hand rest on the girl’s hip.

 

“But babe,” he whined, ignoring the fiery look that Wynonna was shooting him, “just one date? I promise I’ve changed,” he stuck his bottom lip out and pouted. Nicole resisted the urge to laugh again and instead waited for Waverly to respond. The girl could take care of herself. She would only step in if Waverly requested it.

 

Wynonna grabbed at Champ’s face, squeezing his cheeks in such a manner that his lips comically protruded and sighed, “what did you not understand last night, ignoramus?” He began to whimper. Nicole wasn’t sure if Wynonna was hurting him or if he was simply a baby. “Waverly is dating Nicole. I know you aren’t blind. This idiot is taller than a tree.” She then let go of his cheeks and slapped one lightly.

 

Champ made his way over to Waverly and herself by proxy. He looked between the two of them and rolled his eyes. “Come on, Waves, what’s she got that I don’t have?” The redhead wanted to laugh. She could think of a couple of things that were different between them but opted to let Waverly handle it herself.

 

The smaller girl curled further into Nicole’s side and...inhaled? No, that couldn’t be right, Nicole thought to herself. Why would Waverly be smelling her? She then pulled away from Nicole and jabbed her finger into Champ’s sweaty shirt.

 

_Oh no. Angry Waverly is a sexy Waverly_.

 

“Champ, there are so many things wrong with this scenario that I don’t even know where to begin.” He genuinely looked confused. “You think that you’re God’s gift to women. Can I tell you something?” He nodded. “You’re not. You were a selfish boy when we dated, and I’m sure that you still are. If you had changed then you would have given up on this after I told you that I wasn’t interested. _Not only am I not interested, but I also have a girlfriend._ ”

 

“Tell him, Waverly,” Wynonna shouted like some sort of deranged hype-man.

 

She watched as Champ’s face contorted into something resembling rage and constipation. His mouth opened and closed a few times at a loss for words. Realizing that he had nothing to say, he hurled the basketball towards Nicole who easily grabbed the ball without flinching. “Lucky,” he spat.

 

“Nope. No,” Nicole calmly stated, dropping the ball and taking satisfaction upon hearing it bounce a few times. “You could have hurt Waverly,” she spat, taking a few steps so that they were face to face.

 

“I was aimin’ at you,” he sneered. “I wouldn’t hit my girl.” The smallest part of her wanted to just punch the smug bastard in the face. How incredibly stupid could one man be? The more rational and mature part of her knew that violence would only spur more violence. “I know how to throw a basketball,” he added.

 

“Well, actually, son, you aren’t that good at it,” John Henry piped in. She could hear the teasing of his tone and knew that if she turned around to get a good look at the older man, he would be smiling. “I’m sure Miss Haught here could wipe the floor with you if she so chose.” Wynonna jeered from the background, again performing as some weird hype-man.

 

Champ scoffed before looking at the group that was rallying behind Waverly. “But she’s a girl,” he explained, as though it were the most obvious response. “It wouldn’t even be fair.” Nicole rolled her eyes. She could think of a million things she would much rather do than spend the afternoon playing basketball with Waverly Earp’s ex-boyfriend.

 

Waverly began to laugh beside her, and she knew that her sweet and bubbly Waverly was getting angrier by the second. “Champ, please,” she tried, “were you this much of an asshole when we dated?” He clenched his fists and took a step forward, only to cower back upon realizing he was outnumbered.

 

“You know what,” he shouted, puffing his chest out. The only thing that would make the scene more barbaric would be if he began to beat on his chest, but Nicole could be thankful for small miracles, she guessed. “I’ll play you for Waverly,” he crossed his arms before winking at the smaller girl.

 

“Waverly doesn’t belong to anyone,” Nicole was quick to respond.

 

“She’ll do it.” She expected the voice to be that of Wynonna’s, but she would recognize that voice anywhere. She turned to look at Waverly, who was looking back at her with an unrecognizable expression.

 

“Waverly, no, this is beyond stupid,” Nicole reasoned. She did not doubt her abilities. She played at the college level, for Pete's sake! She just didn’t want to waste any time on Champ Hardy when there were so many other things they could have been doing.

 

Waverly grabbed her hands and rolled her eyes. “First of all, I’m my own person, but I choose you.” She looked away as though she were afraid to make eye contact with the redhead while such words were falling from her mouth. “And the sooner you kick his ass, the sooner he’ll leave me alone. Am I not worth it?” She looked up at Nicole through her long lashes and Nicole knew at that moment that she would have done anything that Waverly Earp asked...even if it were something as stupid as getting a flaming phoenix tattoo on her ass.

 

Even though she knew that Waverly was playing the part of the caring girlfriend, Nicole could easily fool herself into believing that the girl was being sincere with how good of an actress she was. “You’re worth everything,” she replied honestly. She hoped that Waverly assumed that she was good at acting too, otherwise, she might end up scaring the girl away.

 

“Okay, gross,” Wynonna interrupted, “I just wanted to see you guys fight for my baby girl’s honor. I don’t need this ride-or-die talk,” she looked at Nicole and winked. “Kick his ass for her.” She nodded, confused at the sudden camaraderie that Wynonna was offering her when everything else had felt like a weird hazing ritual.

 

 Before she could say something, Waverly grabbed her face and pulled her down for the smallest of kisses. It was only a peck. She had probably seen more action from her grandmother at Christmastime if she were being honest. But the kiss sent her reeling. She shuddered upon wondering what a real kiss with the girl would be like. “Go get him, baby,” she whispered into the air between them.

 

~~~

She didn’t know what possessed her to kiss Nicole, but the look that Nicole had given her afterward had been more than worth it. She had never seen eyes as expressive as those. She had always heard people talk about how common brown eyes were. Half of the world’s population had brown eyes. Nicole’s were different though. Special. You could see how much she cared about you just by looking into them. It was unlike any person she had ever met.

 

“Thanks for keeping it PG for us,” Wynonna winked before occupying the spot that Nicole had been in. “Something tells me that you only want her to play so you can give yourself some more material for the rub club.”

 

“Eww, ‘Nonna,” she groaned, slapping her sister as hard as she could without it being considered rude. “That’s disgusting.”

 

As Wynonna began to laugh, she wrapped her arm around her sister’s shoulders and squeezed. “It’s okay. Why do you think I watch Doc play basketball?” She wiggled her eyebrows. “I’m not gonna lie though. I might have to save some of these images of Haught-Potato. I could use some new material myself.”

 

The anger she felt upon hearing Wynonna talk about Nicole that way gave her pause. It didn’t feel like real anger. Waverly gasped, she was completely jealous that someone else would look at Nicole. “You keep my girlfriend out of your ‘rub club!’” She tried to tame the envious beast within her but found that it was easier said than done.

 

Wynonna’s eyes widened, “I don’t know if I can, baby girl. I hate to say this..but...Haught is hot.” Waverly watched in confusion as Wynonna began to fan herself while Doc averted his eyes. She spun around to see that Nicole had thrown off the clothes that Wynonna had lent her and was instead standing in a sports bra and boxers.

 

“Holy cannoli,” she whispered. _When had Nicole taken her clothes off? Why had she taken her clothes off?_ She could vaguely feel Wynonna elbowing her, but was too invested in Nicole’s body to look at her sister. The redhead was stretching in fluid motions that were second-nature to her. Champ, on the other hand, was standing around trying to mimic whatever Nicole did.

 

She didn’t know anything about sports, least of all basketball. Sure, she could understand that the object of the game was to shoot the ball into the net, but other than that? Waverly knew absolutely nothing. Seeing pale abs on display, however, had her second-guessing her decision to not attend school sports games...especially if she were going to be able to see Nicole’s muscles on demand.

 

She watched as Nicole test the bounce of the ball off of the finely paved gravel, no doubt used to wooden gymnasium floors or concrete. Even so, the redhead seemed as though she would be able to adapt, and God did Waverly hope that was true. She couldn’t possibly imagine Champ believing that he was her mate or something equally archaic simply over the results of a game.

 

The smallest voice in her head echoed the thought that she wouldn't mind being owned by Nicole, in whatever way the older girl saw fit. “Call your fouls,” she heard Nicole state. Or maybe she was asking? Waverly didn’t know because she barely understood what a foul was. She saw Champ remove his sweat-stained tank top and fought the urge to roll her eyes upon seeing him flex for her.

 

“Baby girl, I hope Nicole is good. I don’t wanna deal with a gloating Champ after you leave.” She couldn’t tell Wynonna the truth: that she had never seen Nicole play ball firsthand. She knew that the girl had to be good because she made it to college on a scholarship thanks to the sport. As a girlfriend though, she couldn’t blame Wynonna for thinking she had been at all of Nicole’s games, front and center. An ache formed its way into the pit of her chest at the idea that Nicole had played game after game without a single person in the arena for her.

 

That was going to change. As soon as they got back, Waverly was going to invest in tacky foam fingers and apparel with her girlfriend’s number on the back so that she could cheer Nicole on at every home game. Perhaps she could even talk Chrissy into driving to a few away games.

 

“Yowza!” Wynonna flinched. Waverly quickly turned to look at the scenario in front of her and easily saw that Nicole had fallen onto the ground. Red scrapes marred her otherwise flawless skin and she was beginning to get the barest hint of a sunburn.

 

“Champ, you disgusting yellow-bellied toad,” Doc interjected, running over to check on Nicole. The redhead waved Doc off, hoping that her lack of reaction would cause Champ to stop his physical attack on her.

 

Of course, no such luck.

 

With every layup Nicole went up for, Champ would slam her into the wooden post. After every jump-shot, she would be elbowed into the floor. With each improper hit, Waverly could feel her blood boiling and her heartbreaking. It was _her_ fault that Nicole was even entertaining the stupid game of flinging baskets to knock Champ down a size or two.

 

And sweet Nicole refused to call the meathead out on any of his outlandish tactics. She didn’t know much about basketball, but she knew that players didn’t regularly walk away with road rash on their stomachs and bloody noses. Nicole kept going though, never even hinting that she was in pain or about to lose her temper.

 

Doc and Wynonna, on the other hand, were livid. She could sense that her sister was beyond impressed with Nicole’s ability to handle the spineless jock, but there was a look in her eyes that Waverly hadn’t seen in a long time: fear. Fear that Nicole was going to get seriously hurt because of something she had goaded on. Doc, on the other hand, consistently yelled at Champ and begged Nicole to call fouls where they were due.

 

With each foul that Nicole took and refused to call out, Champ’s bravado faltered. His face was purple from exertion and his body seemed to be giving out on him. His breaths were coming in sharp pants and his movements began to get even more sluggish and bulky than they had already been.

 

The redhead, on the other hand, was still moving gracefully enough. Clearly being on an actual basketball team had the girl equipped with stamina that was outlasting Champ. With that knowledge, Waverly’s thighs clenched together, an act that confused her greatly.

 

“Hardy, this is sad,” Wynonna shouted, looking over Nicole (in what Waverly hoped was a strictly platonic way). “You’re beating the shit out of a girl because you’re afraid she’s going to kick your ass,” Champ growled and spun on his heels, leaving Nicole with a clear shot.

 

Waverly whooped upon seeing the ball sail through the rim. “My dear,” Doc looked at Wynonna, “she is kicking his derrière.” He then looked at Nicole with a gaze that Waverly could only describe as admiration. “Miss Haught,” his gentle voice called out as he eased his way over to the fiery player. Waverly watched with bated breath, unsure of whether the entire mess was over or if there was still more to be done. He pulled out a handkerchief from his blue jeans and lifted his hand out to her, silently asking if it was okay for him to touch her. The brunette saw Nicole’s small nod and teared up upon seeing the flinches and winces that escaped Nicole as Doc softly wiped at her nose and mouth.

 

She was certainly going to kill Champ Hardy. She knew her old shotgun was somewhere on the homestead, but she would be willing to make the drive out to their old home for the gun. Maybe she would shoot him in the balls first since he so clearly lacked any of size. She would have Nicole take her to the station afterward to turn herself in. It would be worth it, in her opinion.

 

“You score again, you win,” she heard Doc whisper. _Finally._ She was tired of seeing Nicole obtain injury after injury because her ex-boyfriend was a man-child. Not only that, but she was embarrassed that she had forced Nicole into such a position. She would never force anyone to “fight for her hand,” as the concept itself was degrading, but something about the idea of Nicole caring about her enough to endure such drivel was heartwarming.

 

...especially since they weren’t dating. Nicole was a good person like that.

 

Doc came away and tucked his handkerchief back into his pocket in an attempt to hide it from her, but she was no idiot. She knew the girl was going to be aching and in pain later.

 

Nicole checked the ball and faked past Champ easy enough. Unfortunately, the idiot realized that Nicole was going up for an easy layup to end the game and ran to catch up with her. His man-to-man skills were sorely lacking, and as Nicole’s right hand eased the ball against the backboard, the ball fell in. Doc cheered and Wynonna pulled the blue-eyed man in for a heated kiss.

 

“Foul,” Champ called.

 

Waverly didn’t know what that meant in terms of their stupid game. Was it not over? Nicole had won. She looked at Nicole and saw the moment the tired smile gave way to a furious glare. It was honestly something she hadn’t ever seen coming from the girl. It made Waverly squirm.

 

“Give it up, 9-seconds,” Wynonna taunted. “You lost.” He sneered and looked between all of them, clearly trying to find a way out of the shit he had stepped in.

 

“It was eight seconds,” he clapped back. “And I’m calling foul.” He spun around and motioned for Nicole to throw him the ball. She rolled her eyes but tossed him the ball, nonetheless. He made his way to the general location of where a free throw line would be and shot the ball. It spun around on the rim before falling through, earning him his point.

 

Waverly bit her fingernails, afraid to even look at what would happen next. She really should have stood beside Doc so he could explain the situation to her. Nicole fumbled her way to Champ’s location and stood behind him, awaiting the ball to be back in her possession.

 

She dribbled back a few steps and let Champ run his energy out trying to steal the ball from her. With practiced ease, she spun away from him and looked at Waverly. The smallest smile was gracing her face. One of her eyes was already turning a shade darker than normal, her nose was puffy, and there were dried specks of blood covering her upper lip; to Waverly, Nicole had never looked more beautiful. She broke eye contact with the brunette and shot the ball.

 

Waverly had to admit she was a little nervous. She hadn’t seen Nicole throw the ball into the goal thing from that far away. She had, instead, spent most of the game trying to make her way to the basket and shoot from there. She closed her eyes and willed herself not to throw up.

 

She felt a hand slap her shoulder and opened her eyes to see Wynonna staring at her with pride. “You picked a good one, Waverly,” she explained before allowing her to respond. Instead, she looked over to see Nicole limping her way with a shrug.

 

“Whatever,” Champ huffed, clearly realizing he couldn’t cheat his way out of the loss. Instead, he made his way over to Nicole and held his hand out.

 

Expecting Nicole to slap him or something equally appropriate, the redhead simply smiled and shook his hand before pulling him in closer. She began to whisper something into his ear, and Waverly found herself wondering how to get that information out of one of them.

 

Champ pulled away with a smile, nodded, and then made his way over to the group. “I’m gonna go finish mucking out the stables,” he explained before sliding past Doc into the small cabin. Before Waverly could ask whether or not she had hit her head or been abducted by aliens, Champ came back out. He was fully dressed again and offered a wave before heading in the direction of the horses.

 

“What the hell just happened,” Wynonna stated what everyone else was thinking. Waverly took off running towards Nicole who had simply plopped down on the makeshift court.

 

“Howdy, partner,” Nicole joked upon seeing the frantic girl.

 

“Oh my God, Nicole,” Waverly sunk to her knees and began to cry, unable to stop her traitorous tears from falling. The redhead immediately scooped her up into her lap and rocked them back and forth in what was a surprisingly calming motion. “I am so sorry,” she cried into the salty skin of Nicole’s neck. It would only take the smallest change of angle for her lips to find the hollow of the taller girl’s neck. Rather than second guess herself, she gently pressed a kiss against the sweat-soaked skin. She could feel Nicole tense below her. _You made her uncomfortable_ , the voice repeated over and over. “I’m sorry.” With that, she pulled out of Nicole’s embrace, as though the mere touch of Nicole’s skin was scorching her flesh.

 

~~

“What is _wrong_ with you, Wynonna,” Gus shouted, moving through the room like a well-oiled machine. She reached for some cream and began to gently rub it into the marred skin that was on display for everyone to see.

 

Wynonna had helped Nicole inside after Waverly had all but run away. She could almost guess that Waverly was upset with her for something but what it was, she didn’t know. Maybe she didn’t appreciate that she had gone through with the game-even though Waverly was the one who had practically volunteered her. “It’s not Wynonna’s fault,” Nicole explained, wincing when Gus hit a particularly sensitive spot.

 

“No?” Gus questioned. “So you’re telling me that Waverly’s idiot girlfriend and idiot ex got into a schoolyard fight?” Nicole chuckled, appreciative that Gus was a woman that didn’t take shit from anyone. She quickly grabbed a quilt that had been placed on the back of the couch upon hearing footsteps making their way into the living room. Henry had stayed outside and the two Earp sisters and Gus were in the room with her. She didn’t want to meet someone for the first time in her underwear.

 

“I’ll see if Gus has some of that pie left in the fridge, Randy,” she heard a gruff voice. She thought through the list of people she was supposed to know for Waverly and realized that there was no Randy on the list. “Gussie,” the voice yelled, “is there any pie left?”

 

Gus grunted and pulled away to admire the work she had done on Nicole’s side. Nodding to herself, she handed the cream to Waverly and stood up. “Take her to the bathroom and clean off her face. We don’t want her to meet Curtis looking like some hooligan.”

 

Waverly nodded but Nicole could see it on her face that she didn’t want to be trapped in a room with her. “I can do it myself,” she mumbled while pulling herself off the couch. “Shit,” she cursed, feeling the way her muscles revolted against her movements.

 

“I’ve got it,” Waverly told Gus before grabbing Nicole by the elbow and tugging her toward the master bedroom. “I’ll get you something else to put on since there’s no way we’re putting you back in Wynonna’s clothes.” Nicole followed like a lost puppy, dumbfounded, and unsure of what she had done to make Waverly not want her around.

 

“Waverly, wait,” Nicole pleaded. She grabbed at the smaller girl’s wrist and pulled so that the girl wouldn’t leave her just yet. Waverly spun around and placed her hands on her hips. Authoritative Waverly was also really attractive, she thought to herself. She really couldn’t imagine any type of Waverly that wouldn’t be beautiful though. “I’m sorry.” At the admission, Waverly’s stance deflated. She wrapped her arms around herself and bit down on her lip.

 

“What you could be sorry about? I’m the reason you’re,” she gestured wildly at Nicole’s body and left out a huff of air.

 

Nicole grabbed Waverly’s hands and stroked them gently. “I’m sorry that I did all of that. I’m supposed to be impressing your family. I’m pretty sure your aunt thinks I’m just as stupid as Champ now.” Waverly rolled her eyes and pulled away from Nicole, opting instead to trace the bumps and bruises on her face.

 

“Maybe,” she replied cheekily, “but you certainly were a lot cuter than he was.” Nicole was glad at that moment that her face was probably bruised, bloodied, and sunburned because she could feel the rolling heat of the blush that was spreading across her cheeks. “Let’s get that face cleaned up before you meet my uncle.”

 

The whine that came out of her mouth was embarrassing. She wanted to go back to Wynonna’s house and just crash. They would have the entire week to pull off the perfect couple act with Waverly’s family. All she wanted at that moment was to fall into bed and spend the rest of the afternoon taking a powerful nap. Considering she had slept the previous night on the floor, it seemed that letting her go back to the homestead was a kindness that was not going to be fulfilled.

 

She followed behind Waverly, unwilling to stay in the McCready bedroom without the girl she was supposed to be dating. It was awkward enough being a stranger in a strange place; she didn’t want to be left by herself in the master bedroom of a couple she didn’t know.

 

Waverly weaved past the bed and the nightstand and opened a door that Nicole rightly assumed was the bathroom. It, like the rest of the cabin, was simple and homely in its decor. “Sit,” Waverly pointed to the toilet. Nicole closed the lid and sat down, waiting for the sting of whatever medicine Waverly was going to rub onto her face.

 

Instead, Waverly grabbed a washcloth from the linen closet and ran it under the tap water from the sink before making her way back over to the injured girl. She squeezed her eyes shut, preparing herself for the inevitable pain, but all she felt were the gentle swabs of the cloth under her nose. It was soothing in a way she hadn’t expected and found herself on the verge of falling asleep. “This is nice,” she moaned.

 

Waverly, surprised by the tone of Nicole’s voice, pulled the washcloth away and giggled awkwardly. “Bet you regret sleeping on that hardwood floor now, huh,” she teased, before stepping back to the sink and rinsing the cloth. Nicole watched as Waverly wrung the red-tinted water out and made her way back over. “This one might hurt,” she warned before pressing the cloth against the bridge of her nose.

 

“Ow,” Nicole whined, pulling away. As Waverly attempted to bring the cloth back down, Nicole fought her hands away. “Not happening,” she cried out. Waverly laughed (probably at how pathetic you are, Nicole thought to herself) but admitted defeat and threw the cloth into the dirty hamper. She turned around and gently inspected the scrapes and bruises on her face.

 

The silence was deafening, and Nicole was mildly uncomfortable. She was essentially half-naked on a toilet in front of the girl that was making her do insane things like battling evil exes in impromptu basketball games or developing feelings even though she so desperately didn’t want to have them. “My poor, brave baby,” Waverly whispered while brushing her fingers through red baby hairs that had fallen out of the ponytail.

 

“Waverly, I think we should probably talk about-”

 

“Don’t be having sex,” a loud voice shouted from the other side of the door before it was flung open. Nicole rolled her eyes. How was it possible that Wynonna had the worst timing in the history of mankind? Waverly shrieked and pulled away from Nicole as quickly as possible, effectively elbowing her in the face.

 

“Noooo,” she groaned and ignored the tears that spilled over. Waverly had the decency to look embarrassed, but Wynonna surprisingly ran in and pulled Nicole’s hands away from her face.

 

“Waverly, you moron,” she reprimanded, “her face was already gnarly to begin with before Champ sent her to pummel town. You don’t need to make her any uglier.” The sharp-tongued girl winked at Nicole before grabbing her chin and tilting her head upwards. “You’re going to be hurting tonight. Lucky for you, mama has been in a scuffle or two. It’s nothin’ a little Jack can’t help.”

 

“Wynonna, you are not drinking with my girlfriend,” Waverly was quick to inform. Nicole thought about the fact that Wynonna was essentially offering her an olive branch, or a way to (hopefully) earn her approval in dating Waverly. Even if it wasn’t real, it didn’t mean that Nicole didn’t want Wynonna to like her.

 

“It’s a date,” Nicole said with a nod, easily ignoring the look Waverly was sending her and instead focusing on the approving stare that Wynonna was sending her way.

 

“I’m not the dating kind of gal,” Wynonna admitted before looking at Waverly and smirking, “but for you, I’ll make an exception.” Nicole watched as Waverly’s hands balled into tight fists. “Also, put some clothes on. Nedley is here. Don’t want to give the old perve a heart attack.” With that, the brunette was gone.

 

She waited for Waverly to say something, anything. Instead, she chose to look at her fingernails. Nicole got the feeling that she had done something wrong, but what it was, she hadn’t known. Moments before Wynonna showed up, Waverly had been looking at her as though she were a person that she genuinely cared for, and now, she was ignoring her in favor of the dirt under her nails.

 

When it became apparent that Waverly had no intention of being the first one to speak, Nicole sighed. “Waves,” she began, only to shut down at the fiery look Waverly sent her.

 

The younger girl crossed her arms, “don’t call me that,” she pushed past Nicole, leaving her in the bathroom. She grabbed at her side and groaned upon standing up and meekly made her way out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom. Waverly was rummaging through some drawers and found a large t-shirt and some leggings that had to belong to Gus.

 

Nicole grabbed them and chose to run after Waverly, half-naked and all. “Waverly, wait,” she huffed. It was getting harder to move around, but she was determined to push through the pain if it meant getting to make Waverly smile at her once more. “Please,” she begged, “this hurts, but I’m going to follow you no matter how much it kills me.” Dramatic, she knew. Sometimes a person had to be a little dramatic to get what they wanted.

 

As though the momentum surrounding her movements ceased, Waverly simply slumped down in the hall. Nicole stopped limping upon finally reaching the girl and tried her best to ease herself onto the floor (much less gracefully than Waverly had). “I’m just upset,” she whispered into the hall, refusing to make eye contact.

 

Nicole reached out and placed her hand on top of Waverly’s and squeezed for a moment. “Uh-huh, I kind of got that,” she chuckled. “What did I do? Talk to me.” As though the dam had broken, Waverly began to sob. Nicole’s face contorted into one of shame and regret. Whatever she had done must have been bad if it had Waverly Earp bawling.

 

Waverly shook her head as though that were the key to stop crying and wiped furiously at her eyes before looking at Nicole and starting the crying process all over. She wondered if she were so ugly at that moment that she was causing the girl to cry upon looking at her. “You’re so hurt,” she made out from the blubbering that was coming from the tiny girl. “I’m the reason you’re like this. And Wynonna is hitting on you,” she added with a tiny whimper.

 

And even though it legitimately hurt her to maneuver in such a way, Nicole eased Waverly into her arms and began to hum a distant tune that she couldn’t place. Sure, she was certain that if anyone walked by and saw a half-naked girl with cuts and bruises trying to soothe a sobbing girl by rocking and singing to her that it would be a little odd...but Waverly needed something at that moment. Even if Nicole didn’t know what it was, she was going to try her hardest to figure it out. “Wynonna is not hitting on me, Waverly,” she chuckled. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Waverly scoffed. “I’m serious. Look at me.” Waverly glanced up and Nicole gasped. She could have sworn that in those beautifully stormy eyes, she could see forever. “If you don’t want me to go drinking with your sister then I won’t do it. But you’re blind if you think I would ever be interested in Wynonna Earp when I’ve got you,” she whispered.

 

“Nicole.” The looks Waverly was sending her way was scaring her. It was a look that she _thought_ she recognized from her days with Shae, but there was no way that Waverly Earp had feelings for her that weren’t strictly platonic, right? The girl had been adamant about being straight after all.

 

“Yeah?” Waverly pressed a gentle kiss against the crown of her head before pulling away. As though looking at Nicole had inspired something within her she pushed forward and kissed the bridge of her nose, her puffy right cheek, and finally moved toward her lips.

 

“Put the clothes on,” she grabbed at the shirt and leggings and held them out for the redhead to take. As soon as Nicole had her fingers around the soft material, Waverly was out of her reach. She tossed a wink over her shoulder before running down the hallway and towards the rest of her family.

 

Nicole grunted in her efforts to stand up without help, “couldn’t have helped me up, Waves,” she mumbled under her breath. While she struggled to step into the leggings due to the strain on her sides, the shirt was easy enough to handle. She looked down at the faded teal t-shirt and scoffed upon seeing a Vancouver Grizzlies logo on it. People in Purgatory were behind on the times.

 

Using the last of her strength and will, she eased back into the common area where the McCready’s house seemed to be the most lively. She could hear Wynonna regaling the tale of her game against Champ, much to her horror. Before she could let Wynonna embarrass her any further without a chance to defend herself, she stomped (as gracefully as she could mind you) into the room. She was met with nothing but stares and opened jaws. She looked at Waverly who immediately jumped off the couch and ran over to her side. She wanted to laugh at the concept of tiny Waverly being her physical support in that instant but had learned rather quickly that the smaller girl was stronger than she could have possibly imagined.

 

An older man with thinning hair and wrinkles that were caused by a lifetime of laughter jumped out of the recliner and made his way over to the two girls. Nicole briefly wondered if he had already been informed about who she was and why she was there, but the way Waverly’s hands were shaking around her lanky frame told her all she needed to know. “Wynonna has spent the last bit telling me about your behavior on my land,” he deadpanned.

 

Gus rolled her eyes. “Uh, yes sir,” she swallowed thickly. She attempted to break free from Waverly’s grasp, but the girl only held on tighter. “I’m sorry for any trouble I might have caused,” she added. She was notoriously bad about being around parents or in this case parental figures. Shae’s parents had hated her. Hell, her parents had abandoned her. She was worried that no matter what effort she put in, Waverly’s family would still think of her as a failure.

 

The man, who she could only assume was Curtis, began to laugh. His round belly heaved with each chuckle, and Nicole found herself believing that this man played Santa at Christmas. If not, then what was the point in his jovial look? “It’s alright, child,” he winked. “Mr. James is not the best ranch hand. It’d do him so good to get his butt whooped now and then.” His gray eyes twinkled and she found it hard to not smile around his infectious attitude. “Besides, I just saw the work he did in the stables this afternoon. It’s the cleanest they’ve been in God knows how long,” he erupted into a fit of laughter again.

 

“Curtis, leave the poor girl alone,” Gus interjected with a sigh. He rolled his eyes for good measure but held out the crook of his elbow to walk her over to the recliner he had been seated in.

 

“Nicole, feel special,” Wynonna shouted from her place on the floor, “Curtis doesn’t even let Gus sit in that chair,” she tacked on.

 

She blushed before looking at Waverly for some type of help. Waverly offered a smile and a cute shrug before following behind her. “Here, I’ll get you some pie,” he stated after easing her into the dark brown recliner. It was worn and had seen a lot of love in the past, but Nicole could see the appeal of it.

 

Waverly, for her part, walked back over and quirked an eyebrow at the redhead. “You want to sit here too?” Nicole asked with a grin. Without answering, she carefully eased herself down into the chair. She could tell that Waverly was being gentle in an attempt to not touch any bruises, but she knew it would have been worth the pain to feel Waverly’s body that close to her own.

 

“Nicole,” Gus called, “this is Sheriff Randy Nedley. He’s the law here,” she explained. Nicole looked over at the man and wanted to laugh. He certainly didn’t look like he spent much time doing anything but sitting at a desk. Still, she was in front of a man that had put his entire life into working at a station. She greatly admired anyone who was able to be that dedicated to something.

 

He reached his hand out awkwardly. Nicole didn’t know what to make of it but stuck her own hand out for the greeting. He pulled away before she could touch him and wiped his hand on his pant leg. “Sorry,” he explained, “my hands are sticky from Mrs. McCready’s key lime pie. It’s to die for, Nicole,” he smiled.

 

She realized that a town called Purgatory, ironically, had a lot of really friendly people. “You’re Chrissy’s dad, right?” She found herself asking. She could see the similarities. He seemed more reserved than Chrissy though (which was probably a good thing, in Nicole’s opinion). Upon mentioning his daughter, Nedley’s eyes lit up.

It made her heart hurt a little bit thinking about the fact that she had no one that cared about her in such a way. There would never be a proud father talking about her accomplishments to his friends. There would never be a mother that was ecstatic about planning a wedding. It was always going to be Nicole Haught and Nicole Haught alone. “She’s a little shit,” he chuckled. “I didn’t know you knew her, Miss Nicole.”

 

She was going to kill someone if they kept calling her _Miss Nicole_. It wasn’t the days of the Wild West, nor was she some damsel in distress. It was honestly off-putting. “Nicole Haught,” she explained. “Just Nicole works.” His eyes widened and she vaguely got the impression that he wasn’t expecting such a response.

 

He nodded to himself and absentmindedly scratched the whiskers of his chin. “I know you,” he nodded. “Chrissy mentioned you,” he added as an afterthought. She felt Waverly stiffen in the seat but thought nothing of it. “You want to be a cop, right?”

 

“Yes sir,” she quickly responded. “I’ve almost finished school. As soon as I’m able, I’ll be trying to get into the academy.” He looked her over as though he were appraising her and nodded. Before much else could be said, Curtis walked back in with two plates. He held one out for Nicole and kept the other for himself.

 

“Curtis,” Gus reprimanded, “you already had two slices.”

 

“Yes ma’am,” he whined before handing the piece over to Nedley, who looked about as happy as Wynonna did when presented with alcohol.

 

Gus smiled, pleased with herself before looking pointedly at Nicole and Waverly. She assumed that this the older woman’s way of telling them to get on with it, but ultimately, Nicole knew it was up to Waverly if and when the conversation happened. Hard determination set on Waverly’s face and instead of beating around the bush, the words, “Nicole is my girlfriend. She’s here with me for the break,” just flew out.

 

“Well,” Nedley took a bite of pie, “Chrissy already mentioned that to me, Waverly, but I’m happy for you,” he awkwardly replied. Wynonna began to laugh at the situation and poor, sweet Waverly just looked at Curtis as though he had the power to break her heart with the next few words that came out of his mouth. Nicole realized that he probably did. Still, there was nothing that made her think he would possibly say something to hurt Waverly. She had only known the man for less than ten minutes and he seemed as though he thought Waverly hung the moon.

 

“You’re certainly better looking than Champ was,” was all he offered before stealing her slice of pie from her, “but now that I know you’re dating my baby girl, we need to talk. If I like your answers _then_ you can have some pie.”

 

“Curtis, you aren’t getting any more pie,” Gus shouted.

~

Upon entering the homestead, she grinned. Finally, she was going to get to just take it easy. Waverly had promised to run her a bath that would take her mind off of her aches and pains, and she was ecstatic for it. Her run-in with Champ had taken its physical toll on her while being introduced to Gus and Curtis as Waverly’s girlfriend had run its emotional toll on her.

 

All in all, she wanted to relax. Maybe she could just call it a night and go to sleep on the couch. After all, it couldn’t have been that bad of a couch to sleep on if Wynonna had done it the night before. “You ready for that bath,” Waverly whispered from behind her, ignoring the glare Wynonna shot them.

 

“Sounds great, baby,” she was quick to respond. It was hard determining when Waverly wanted her to put on the girlfriend act versus when she just wanted her to be Nicole, but she had decided to treat Waverly like she would have treated her had they been an actual couple. It was the only way to make sure that no one caught on to the farce.

 

“Nope,” Wynonna interrupted. “Sounds disgusting,” she gagged, “but you aren’t getting any Haught-crotch tonight, baby girl.” She then sprinted around the room and leaped over the couch so that she was standing in front of them both. “Me and Red are going out tonight. Remember?”

 

“Wyn, she needs to rest tonight,” Waverly immediately responded with a stomp of her foot and pout. Nicole had to stop herself from bending over to kiss the pout off of her face.

 

Wynonna shook her head. “No,” she shrugged. “You’ll just have to miss the jolly green giant tonight, Waves. She promised me a date, and no one cancels a date with Wynonna Earp,” she winked and then made her way out of the living room and down the hallway. “Freshen up, Red, we’re going out.”

 

“Wynonna!” Waverly shouted, pushing past Nicole. “Where are you guys going?” At that, Wynonna stuck her head out of her bedroom and laughed.

 

“Mother fucker,” Nicole groaned, throwing herself onto the couch and fighting back tears. She had no idea what Wynonna wanted to do tonight, but she had a feeling that it wasn’t going to be good.

 

She just had to make sure that she didn’t do anything to screw up her chances of getting into the academy. Really, how hard could it be? It was just a drink or two with Wynonna, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update: Wynhaught drinking, Nicole goes back to check out the Jeep, and Waverly runs into Shae. 
> 
> Follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/mmetcalfe91) or [tumlr](https://superstitious-pigeons.tumblr.com)


	9. Chapter IX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap, this took forever. Hope it was worth the wait!

Nicole had legitimately picked the ugliest sweatpants known to mankind to wear to their night out. Wynonna wasn’t high class by any means, but she at least expected the girl that was bumping uglies with her baby sister to try to impress her. _Especially_ since she had provided Red with a Wynonna approved outfit earlier in the day.

She hadn’t been the best sister, that much was true. So, she was certainly trying her best to make Waverly feel as though Nicole were the greatest thing since tequila. Not whiskey though. The dumb wannabe narc was not worthy of whiskey. Still, the redhead was…growing on her. Like a fungus. She hadn’t wanted to like Waverly’s boyfriend.

Tough shit, Wynonna. There wasn’t a boyfriend. There was a girl. A tall, redheaded zit that gave her sister the most gag-worthy puppy eyes that she had ever seen. Once or twice, she had almost wanted to scratch the girl behind the ears to see if there was a tail that would wag. And damn it if they had only been in town for two miserable days.

She expected the week to be a torture fest for whatever poor dude Waverly brought home. She wasn’t expecting her sister to bring someone home that looked at her like she hung the moon and the stars and all that lame shit.

 _But,_ she thought, _anyone lucky enough to be with Waverly better look at her like that._

Anyway, back to her misery. She expected spring break to be a miserable affair for whatever poor bastard Waverly brought back home. Instead, she was the miserable one. It was seriously one gag fest after another seeing the couple. Still, it was kind of weird that they seemed to be so into each other while maintaining a safe distance between each other.

Wynonna Earp was a lone wolf. She didn’t want to be tied down by any man, but she was a hell of a lot more affectionate with one-night stands than Waverly was with her gingerbread man…woman. She assumed that Waverly was trying to be respectful or whatever for her own sake. That much, she could appreciate. It already took everything within her to not barf every freaking time Waverly opened her mouth and Nicole looked like some doofus whose goal in life was to hang on baby girl’s every word.

“So,” Nicole squeaked after getting into Wynonna’s blue baby, “we going back to Shorty’s?” The stupid idiot grinned like she was prepared for what Wynonna was going to throw her way.

“Nope,” she popped the “p” and said nothing else. She wasn’t going to bond with this chick. Nope. No way. She would not like a cop. Especially a cop that was dating her sister. Nicole reached for the seatbelt and let out a grunt. She was no doubt hurting from the beating she had taken during the basketball game…which she had to admit was kind of hot. Waverly knew how to pick attractive ones. Unless you counted Champ Hardy. He was not her cup of tea. “And you could have at least dressed up for me,” she added with a wink.

Waverly’s girlfriend blushed and then looked down at her fingernails. Probably some sort of weird lesbian grooming thing that she wasn’t aware of. “Waverly wasn’t invited so I didn’t dress up,” she heard from the other side of the cab.

It was going to be a long night, but by the time they were finished Nicole would either have proved herself worthy of Waverly, or she would be booking the next bus out of Purgatory.

\---

“Jesus, Wynonna, did you have to hit every pothole? Again?” Red shrieked. Time to play dumb, Wynonna thought to herself.

“I’m sorry,” she explained before throwing the truck into park. “I haven’t been out here in a while. Didn’t know the roads were so rocky.”

Totally a lie. She took the back road on purpose. The look Nicole was shooting her way gave her the impression that Red might have caught on. Still, she didn’t say anything. She just rolled her eyes and stepped out of the truck. “Wynonna, what the hell is this place?” She heard asked once she had gotten out of the driver’s seat.

They were standing in front of the strip joint. Could Copper not read? “Can you not read? It’s Pussy Willows,” she pointed at the sign.

Nicole pushed her hand away and scowled. “We’re at a strip club? Waverly will kill me.” The panicked look on Nicole’s face was almost enough to have her feeling a little guilty over bringing the rookie to Pussy Willows instead of Shorty’s.

“Relax,” she called out before placing her hand in the middle of Nicole’s back. “It’ll be fine. If Waverly doesn’t know then Waverly doesn’t mind.” She pushed hard and held back a laugh when Nicole went flying toward the door.

She looked scared and completely out of place. Wynonna almost wished she had some popcorn on hand because the evening ahead was definitely going to be 50 shades of entertaining. “Do you have hand sanitizer?” Nicole called out over the pumping music while looking in any direction that didn’t have scantily clad women.

“Well, duh,” Wynonna prattled, “what kind of girl do you think I am?” She grabbed Nicole by the elbow and pulled her toward the bar. She was clearly going to have to start off easy on the girl or she might end up spooked like a dumb deer in the middle of the road. “Jonas, my good man,” she called out to the bartender, “Red here needs some alcohol.”

Jonas (been there, done that) looked between the two of them and smiled, a predatory look in his eyes. Poor idiot didn’t know he was in the presence of a woman that, much like lightning, didn’t generally strike in the same place twice and…well…a girl that was into chicks over dicks. “What can I get you, darlin’,” he drawled.

His southern accent was as real as Samantha Baker’s tits, but she would let him puff his chest out and try to perform a mating ritual for Nicole like some sort of deranged bird. It was sure to end in disappointment on his end, and she lived for the look of defeat on someone’s face.

She waited for Nicole to give her drink order to Jonas. The rookie was going to be severely judged on her drink of choice, whether she knew it or not. “Water?” Nicole squeaked.

“Mm, nope. No way. Hell no,” she shouted over the hustle and bustle of the club. If that was Nicole’s drink of choice, then she was forbidden to date Waverly. “Give lightweight here some girly drink, and you know what I like,” she purred, running her fingers over the bartender’s forearm.

She wasn’t going to sleep with him again, but he didn’t know that. Besides, if flirting got her a free drink or three then who was she to complain? She would flirt with every hick, cowboy, and rodeo clown in the joint if it guaranteed free drinks. Jonas nodded and shot her a wink before turning around to make their drinks. “So, what’s the deal with this place?” Nicole gestured vaguely around the room (still refusing to look at anyone that wasn’t fully dressed).

She shrugged, not sure what to tell the redhead. Once upon a time, she might have worked there when she was in desperate need of some cash, but that wasn’t a story that she was going to tell _anyone_ , especially Waverly’s dumb girlfriend. “Whiskey, neat,” Jonas interrupted while sliding the glass to her. “And an iced tea for you, pretty woman.” He eased his elbow onto the bar and propped his head into his hand with a devilish smirk. “Where have you been all my life?”

She threw back her drink and held in her laughter, excited to see how Red would go up against Jonas. Brown eyes bugged out of their head and she shot Wynonna a pleading look. Tough shit, Red. She was on her own tonight. “Big City,” she dryly responded. Jonas laughed as though it were the funniest thing he had ever heard, but something told her that Red was being serious. “Thanks for the tea,” she shouted after taking a large sip of the drink.

He laughed and looked at over at her with a challenging look. Was he trying to make her jealous? Because it wasn’t going to work. She was trying to wear Doc down, after all. Jonas had been a good lay, but she was definitely over that one. Now she was into more mature men. Men who actually could grow facial hair.

“Wynonna Earp,” she heard a deep voice call out from behind her. Groaning, she turned around to see the most pompous asshole she had ever met. She looked over at Nicole, afraid that the redhead might catch onto the fact that there was some bad blood between her and Lady Gaga’s wannabe stylist, but she was sucking happily on the straw of her tea.

“Jonas, keep Red here in supply, okay?” The auburn girl, for her part, just nodded and waved her off. She hoped that Red could nip the advances that Jonas was sending her way, but something told her that Nicole was entirely too stupid to notice that the man was interested in her. “Bobo,” she growled, upon reaching the man. He played with one of the many rings on his finger and sent her a smirk.

“You knew if I caught wind of you being back in my bar-

“It’s a strip club, Bobo. Call it what it is. You’re just mad that when Shorty died, he left the bar to Gus instead of your folk,” she spat. Once upon a time she had felt sorry for the man. He and Willa had been sweet on one another, but now? Bobo Del Rey was a prophet for the outsiders and loners.

He stroked at the coarse hairs of his beard before grinning wolfishly. “You aren’t allowed on my premises, Earp,” he spat. “You owe me,” he tapped his index finger against his jaw a few times before snapping his teeth at her, “thousand dollars, wasn’t it?”

Okay, so maybe she _borrowed_ some money from Bobo back in the day, but it wasn’t a thousand dollars. She looked back at the bar to confirm that Red was still fighting off men’s advances. The girl was so oblivious to men that she didn’t know when they were hitting on her. That, or she was hung up on Waverly.

 _Waverly._ She wondered what her sister was doing. If she stole Haught-pocket’s phone would there be disgustingly romantic text messages telling her to be careful? Would Waverly just mope around the homestead until her girlfriend was brought home safe and sound?

_Oh shit, Wynonna. Bobo is still strutting around like an over-feathered peacock and rambling about something._

She nodded along and added the occasional ooh and aah for the man’s benefit. He enjoyed his philosophical monologues and who was she to deny the man? She briefly glanced back at the bar again, determined to step in if Jonas became too much of a problem for stale gingerbread girl. “Oh crap,” she mumbled upon seeing that Nicole had already had four of the teas. The idiot hadn’t known they were alcoholic. “Bobo, can’t we do this some other time? I’ve really got other things to deal with right now.”

Desperate times called for desperate measures. She leaned over some so that her cleavage became a featured view for the older man.

_Shit yeah, I still got it._

Bobo rolled his eyes and grabbed her by the crook of the elbow. “I can always have you removed if you don’t want to pay up. You showed up at _my_ establishment knowing that you owed _me_ money. What did you expect?” She rolled her eyes. Jeez, the man needed to lighten up. He owned a strip joint, what more could a man of his caliber require?

“I don’t owe you a thousand bucks, Bobo. You’re crazy.”

“Interest, Wynonna.”

Before she could say something else, a topless woman sashayed in between them, holding a drink out that Bobo rapidly shot back. She then popped a strawberry into his mouth. As he bit into the fruit, the juice trickled down his mouth and into his unkempt beard. “Eww,” she groaned, gagging when the girl lapped up the mess from his face.

“Tell you what,” he smirked, “give me that gun of yours and we’ll call it even.” Her eyes widened and she reached for her holster out of habit. He looked at his escort and patted her on the rear. Understanding the dismissal for what it was, she strutted away.

She groaned. It wasn’t often that Wynonna Earp ran into problems that she couldn’t find a way out of. Of course, she would run into an issue when trying to “bond” or whatever with Haught-wing. “Not gonna happen, Bobo,” she spat. “You’re crazy if you think this gun is only worth that,” she added, more for herself than him. She had often thought of trying to sell the gun. It would make some serious bank. She could have gotten a nice spot on some beautiful island with a cabana boy to ogle over.

_But no Waverly._

Bobo laughed. “Well Wynonna, I could always go find baby sister. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing her work off your debt.” He licked his lips and thrust his hips at her. Instantly her hands were wrapped around his neck, squeezing lightly. Despite the loud music and chatter, she could hear his laughter ringing through her ears.

Two huge men, some wannabe bodyguards if she had to guess, came bounding over with the grace of bulls in a china shop. She quickly dropped her hands, not wanting to deal with Douche 1 and Douche 2. “It’s alright, Carl. Red.” He nodded at the two and they went skulking back into whatever dark corner they had crawled out of. “Well, Wynonna…Aphrodite could always make a reappearance. Just for the night, eh? Your tips are mine. We’ll call it even.”

She rolled her eyes. “As much as I would love to jiggle the girls and sit on the laps of these,” she sniffed, “Jason Momoa look-a-likes, I’m gonna have to pass. I’m here with a friend.” She turned around to look for Nicole and instantly felt panic wash over her. “Mother fuc-

“What’s the matter, Earp,” Bobo ran his fingers through her hair and frowned.

“I lost Shrek,” she screeched, pulling out of Bobo’s grasp and running back to the bar. Slightly out of breath, she waved Jonas over. “Where did Nicole go?”

He dropped an orange peel into a drink and handed it to an elderly man that was seated near her before rolling his eyes. “Who is Nicole?”

Panic was immediately replaced with anger. “Nicole? I told you to watch her. Red hair. Yay tall,” she held her hand as far over her head as she could. He chuckled and pointed to a mechanical bull that she had not remembered being there. “Jesus, Waverly is going to kill me,” she whispered to herself before trying to make her way across the bar.

Of course, it was easier said than done when one had to deal with drunk men, half-naked women, and rodeo clowns trying to one-up each other on the bull. “Red! Oi, Nicole,” she shouted, hoping that somehow the idiot would hear her over the masses. No such luck. “No, no, no, don’t get on the friggin bull, Nicole,” she muttered.

As the redhead tried (and failed miserably) to climb over the cushioned wall, Wynonna grabbed at her collar and tugged her backward. A group of men whined upon realizing that the younger woman wasn’t going to be trying to ride the bull. Not if Wynonna could help it, anyway. “What the hell are you trying to do, Haught?” She shouted into the redhead’s ear. The girl’s face was already bruised and swollen. Was the idiot wanting to add a broken tailbone to the list?

“They said it would be fun, Wynonna,” Nicole slurred before throwing her arm around the brunette’s shoulder. “And you, you left me all alone,” she sang. “Can we call Waverly,” she sighed.

Wynonna gagged. The idiot was drunk and still managing to make googly eyes over her sister. “Wynonna,” Bobo interrupted her attempt at getting Nicole back to the bar (for some water, she wasn’t an animal). “Seriously, pay up or get out. My patience is running out.” At that, Nicole poked her finger into the shirtless man’s chest.

“What is yer problem?” Her eyes were glassy and unfocused, and she sounded as threatening as a puppy, but Wynonna appreciated Nicole’s attempt at help.

“My problem,” he spat, swatting Nicole’s finger away, “is that Miss Earp here stole a pretty chunk of change from me, and I want it back.” Nicole’s smile dropped.

“I’m gonna hafta arrest you. Wavely is gonna hate me.” She watched as Red stuck a hand in her pocket and pulled out a string of fabric before looping around her pinky finger like some sort of ring. “Ha, handcuffs.”

She never claimed to be smart in life, but she knew, damn, she just knew that being around Nicole like this was causing her brain cells to die…slowly. Bobo, for the most part, looked slightly amused. “Yeah, okay, you arrested me. Let’s go,” Wynonna grabbed Nicole by the bicep and tugged.

“Salt an officer too,” Nicole screeched before tackling Wynonna to the ground.

“Get off of me, you stupid leprechaun!” She shoved at Nicole’s chest and grunted at the amount of effort it took to get the girl to budge.

“Ladies,” Bobo interrupted. He looped his arms around Nicole’s waist and pulled her up and off of Wynonna before offering a hand to Wynonna. She scoffed. There was no way that Bobo Del Rey was going to help her up. He rolled his eyes and pulled his hand back. “Do I need to call the idiots at the station? I’d rather we not involve them, but if you’re going to keep disrupting my customers…”

Upon standing up and looking between the two of them, Wynonna realized that Nicole was rubbing her face against the fur of Bobo’s coat. She was seriously grossed out by drunk Nicole’s weird fixation on Bobo. “Stop molesting the lamb that died for his coat, Nicole.”

Bobo, realizing that he had an opportunity, pulled Nicole back and looked at her. “Who are you? I know _everyone_ in this town. You. You, I don’t know.” Nicole blinked slowly. Probably trying to process the words that were actually coming out of Bobo’s mouth.

“She’s just a long-lost relative of John Henry’s,” she lied. Easier to lie than tell the truth when it came to Bobo. Not that he would be able to get any dirt on Nicole, but she wasn’t going to give the guy a chance. Especially when that might make Waverly mad…and she was trying this whole “decent human/good sister” thing out. “I told him I would take her out tonight.”

“I’m Wavilies,” Nicole added. Jesus, if the girl would just shut her damn mouth. Bobo arched one of his frosted tipped eyebrows. “She’s like…an angel.” The redhead then turned and looked at Wynonna. “A Wavely angel. A Wavengel.” Nicole then nodded to herself as though she had just discovered the cure to cancer.

She wondered if Jonas had slipped her something a little extra in her drinks but decided not to think about that. Especially since they were already in the crapper. She looked around the room for the best route for an easy exit. “Why don’t you and John Henry’s kin,” he sniffed, clearly not believing her lies, “go back to the bar. Get comfortable.” He placed one arm on the small of Nicole’s back and the other on her own. “Jonas,” he shouted before easing Nicole onto a barstool. “These two are on my tab.” With that, he smiled and walked away.

She fucking knew that whatever twisted idea Bobo was concocting was nothing good. “So, you want water for your friend and what for you?”

“Whiskey. Keep ‘em coming. I’m going to drink Bobo out of his own bar.”

\--

She eased into her old bedroom and sighed. There wasn’t much in there that had belonged to her. Anything she owned came second-hand. It was either Willa’s hand-me-down or Wynonna’s.

She didn’t necessarily enjoy being in the home that was a stain on her past. It was eerie. She felt like a trespasser, as though she weren’t meant to be on the property. Her sister had come so far in the last year or so. She was truly and honestly proud of Wynonna and the life she had built herself. It still hurt, though, to be in the house that had broken her spirit.

Having Nicole by her side through the ordeal had made all the difference. Sure, they had only been there a day and a half, but she could feel herself coming around to the idea of Purgatory and the homestead. She could even see herself spending a summer around…if a strong and tall redhead were there with her.

She shook her head. Something was seriously going on with her. Her entire life she had felt as though she were invisible. Then Nicole had walked into Rosita’s Café and suddenly it was as though everything started to make sense. The girl was incredible. Always taking the time to make sure that she was comfortable. She carried vegan snacks around in her backpack! That wasn’t something she had ever had before in a friend.

Deciding that there was nothing else to see in her old room, she switched the light off and shut the door. She was slightly worried about Nicole being out with Wynonna. Not only was Wynonna a wild card, but the girl was injured!

A blush spread over her cheeks as she remembered Nicole’s basketball game with Champ. He had been so unnaturally cruel to her. Each elbow to the nose, she had taken without complaint. Each time he had tripped her, she simply dusted herself off and kept going. All because she had asked it of Nicole.

A knock at the door broke her thoughts. As she made her way to the front door, she contemplated not answering. There was no peephole to see who was waiting on the other side. She was either going to have to open the door and hope it wasn’t a murderer, or simply ignore it. It couldn’t have been Nicole and Wynonna already. She knew how much the brunette liked to drink, and there was absolutely no way that they were finished at their bar.

Gathering as much courage as she could, she pulled the door open wide enough to stick her head out. Upon seeing the familiar blonde, she popped back inside and opened the door completely. “Are you not excited to see me, bitch?” Chrissy exclaimed with a wild shake of her hands.

The smallest part of her was a little angry that Chrissy had shown up in Purgatory. Not only was she going to impede on her time with Nicole, but she and Nicole could have avoided the bus ride altogether and made the trip in Chrissy’s SUV. “It isn’t that,” she replied, lying. She wasn’t going to be rude to her best friend and roommate just because she was feeling a little grouchy.

“Where’s Wynonna and Miss Haughtie?”

“Drinking.” Chrissy began to laugh, much to Waverly’s horror. She had already thought that letting Nicole go drinking with her sister was a bad idea. Chrissy was only reinforcing that thought.

Waverly led them to the kitchen and began to search through the cabinets for some tea to put on. After opening cabinet after cabinet, she briefly wondered if Wynonna even owned tea. Excusing herself from the kitchen, she ran up the stairs and entered the bedroom that she and Nicole were sharing. Instantly the scent of vanilla enveloped her. As though it were Nicole’s arms that were holding her, she stood for a few seconds to enjoy herself.

Remembering that Chrissy was downstairs, she pulled herself out of the vanilla dip donut-induced haze and searched through Nicole’s backpack. She knew the girl had snacks in there that was for her and hoped the girl had brought some tea as well. It was a long shot, but something within her believed that the girl would have tea on standby-just for her.

Squealing when she found a ziplock bag full of different teas, she grabbed her favorite and stuffed the bag back into the backpack. She looked around the room to ensure that no one was watching before grabbing at a random piece of paper at the bottom of the bag.

She turned the object around and gasped. It was a picture that Chrissy had taken of them at the apartment. She couldn’t remember the day, only that Chrissy had teased them about it and claimed she had photographic evidence. Waverly had never seen the picture and assumed Chrissy had been lying to get under her skin.

Nicole was on her back. Her red hair was splayed out on the pillow in a rare moment of not being pulled back in a ponytail. She had an arm wrapped protectively around Waverly, but that wasn’t the part that shocked her.

It was the fact that her face was buried in Nicole’s neck as though she needed to breathe in the girl to survive. Her arm was slung possessively over Nicole with a hand that was hidden under the taller girl’s shirt.

It looked so intimate. It looked as though they fit together perfectly.

“You guys are pretty cute,” she heard Chrissy call out from behind her. Throwing the picture away as though she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar, she looked at Chrissy and waited for whatever comment the blonde would inevitably have. “I kind of deserve a thank you, I think.” Chrissy took a few steps towards Waverly and sat down beside her, resting her head slightly on the smaller girl’s shoulder.

Waverly wanted to roll her eyes or offer some sort of snarky comment, but deep down she was perfectly aware that Chrissy Nedley was the _only_ reason that she had someone like Nicole in her life. Someone that, despite being strong and unwavering, offered her a softness and a sense of serenity that made all of her problems seem insignificant.

 _No,_ Waverly thought to herself _. Not someone like Nicole. Just Nicole._

Chrissy pulled away long enough to press a kiss to Waverly’s temple and then wrap a slender arm around her waist. Something Waverly had always been thankful for was Chrissy’s ability to read the room. Sure, she could make anyone feel awkward and uncomfortable if she truly wished to, but she also knew when Waverly needed vulnerability and a comforting touch. She supposed it was why Chrissy was her best friend.

“Have you ever wondered,” Waverly began before giggling awkwardly.

Chrissy pulled away, an incredulous look on her face, and an arched brow. When it became apparent that Waverly wasn’t going to continue with her line of questioning, the blonde nudged her slightly, “what? You can ask me anything, Waves.”

Waverly immediately stood up, leaving Chrissy on the dusty floor. “Do you think it’s possible to have feelings for someone?” Before continuing the question, she offered Chrissy a hand and tugged gently.

“Uh, Waves, I don’t know if this is news for you or something, but _yeah_ , I don’t think the concept of having feelings for someone is a new development.” Waverly rolled her eyes and threw herself dramatically on the bed that Nicole had **not** shared with her the previous night. Somehow, she could still smell the redhead on the blanket though. “What are you really trying to ask me here?” Chrissy questioned before easing down onto the bed beside Waverly. As soon as she had positioned herself comfortably on the mattress, she reached out and grabbed Waverly’s hand.

The gentle squeeze from Chrissy provided courage that Waverly hadn’t known she had needed. She inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled loudly through her mouth, choosing to ignore the laugh that the gesture pulled from Chrissy. “I think that I might possibly…maybe…”

\--

“Nicooooole, oh my god,” Wynonna snorted. “You look so stupid right now.”

The redhead had gotten backstage and haphazardly thrown on costumes from a dancer. It didn’t fit. She definitely had put the costume on wrong. Wynonna was also certain that she had mixed three different costumes up and combined them all incorrectly. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” Nicole slurred, stumbling over herself. “I’m gonna do it. For you. And for Waves.”

Wynonna nodded, touched by the gallant act of bravery that Nicole was showing. “Nooo,” she exclaimed before ripping her leather jacket off. She threw it across the room and then began to take her tank top off. It was a struggle (being drunk as hell will do that to you) but she finally managed to get the offending item off. She grabbed a feather boa from a box and nodded to herself. “ _We’re_ gonna do it,” she shouted before grabbing a shot glass from a make-up desk and tossing it back. “Robert is gonna introduce us first and then-

Nicole burst into a fit of laughter.

The music turned down and Bobo Del Rey stepped onto the stage, mic in hand. The crowd went completely silent. It wasn’t often that Bobo himself introduced the talent considering everyone at Pussy Willows was a regular. They knew the women. They knew the bartenders. They knew everyone. “I’ve got a surprise for you tonight, fellas,” he howled. “Aphrodite is back for one night only.” He looked into the wings and winked at Wynonna who sent him finger guns in return.

The drunken crowd began to roar. Wynonna felt kind of proud of herself. She also felt a little sick to her stomach.

“We also have a newcomer,” he purred. “Pussy Willows welcomes,” he looked at a sticky-note and groaned. “Calamity Jane.” Wynonna and Nicole fumbled out and stared awkwardly at the group of men that had seated themselves near the stage. Bobo jumped down as filthy music boomed from the speakers and a light show began.

It was the most bizarre thing Pussy Willows had ever seen: Wynonna Earp in leather pants, a bra, and a hot pink feather boa with a lanky redhead beside her in assless chaps, a skintight police shirt with caution tape around it, and a stained Stetson.

Wynonna thought that she began to dance seductively. She’d throw a wink at a man before rolling her hips to the music. Occasionally she would drop to her knees and crawl on the stage, pointing and mewling at anyone remotely near the stage. She then glanced at Nicole who was doing some sexy dance while face down on the floor. Nicole’s butt was kind of blinding her though, so she looked away. Besides, Waverly wouldn’t want her looking at her girlfriend’s pale ass.

In reality, Wynonna was hobbling around the stage while twirling the pink boa, completely off-beat while Nicole was attempting (and failing) to do the worm. The patrons at Pussy Willows began to shout, angered that they had wasted money on a shitshow.

From his spot at the bar, Jonas laughed hysterically as Wynonna twitched and spasmed. Had he not witnessed a drunken Wynonna Earp firsthand he might have assumed she was having a seizure on stage.

Nicole, for her part, knew that she was killing it. Jeremy had always joked that their dance skills combined were laughable, but he would _soooo_ be eating his words. She began to sway rhythmically and tried to make her way over to Wynonna. Unfortunately, something was wrong with her foot and all she could do was walk in a small circle repeatedly.

“ _What the hell is this?”_

_“Where are the boobies?”_

“Shut up, Carl,” Wynonna shouted as Nicole attempted to pull her shirt off in compliance.

Bobo smirked from the sideline, cellphone in hand. He definitely wasn’t going to get his money back from Wynonna’s attempt at seducing customers but being front row and center to this weird sideshow was more than worth the lack of replacement funds.

\---

“Your dad is calling me,” Waverly groaned, silencing her phone and looking at Chrissy. The blonde rolled her eyes and pulled her cell phone out, expecting a missed call or two from her father. She had made the mistake of leaving him a voicemail explaining that she was back in Purgatory for the week but that she was stopping at the Earp homestead before popping by to see him.

He was probably trying to guilt Waverly into sending her home. It wasn’t going to work, however. She wasn’t leaving Waverly Earp until she received the information she was looking for. “Let it go to voicemail.” She rolled over onto her stomach and looked at Waverly intently. She looked a lot happier. “Have you spent a lot of time with Wynonna?”

The brunette propped herself up on her side and shook her head. “Not really. We went out drinking last night at Shorty’s. Nicole and Champ got into a fight earlier. It was bad,” she explained with a frown. Chrissy gasped, surprised that Nicole would do something as aggressive as fighting a guy whose livelihood was wrestling pigs and riding bulls. “Well, they didn’t fight exactly,” Waverly explained while plucking at the frayed fabric of the comforter. “Somehow they ended up flinging baskets. Champ basically challenged Nicole, and I didn’t let her back down from it.”

Chrissy shoved at Waverly’s shoulder lightly. “Who are you and what have you done with Waverly Earp?” Waverly blushed and continued to pick at the blanket, avoiding all eye contact. “So, Hardy decided he wanted to play basketball with Nicole? Then what?”

Waverly began to recap the entire event to Chrissy, sparing no details. The blonde gasped anytime she mentioned Nicole’s injuries. “Then Nicole whispered something to him, and he acted like they were bros or something. It was weird, Chrissy.”

Chrissy rolled out of the bed and tugged at Waverly’s wrist. “Let’s go downstairs. Mama is a little hungry, and I’ve got more questions.” Waverly allowed herself to be dragged down the stairs and into the kitchen where Chrissy made herself at home. Although Waverly herself wasn’t comfortable milling about the house, Chrissy seemed to have a knack for knowing where everything was located. She grabbed a jar of peanut butter from a cabinet before opening the refrigerator and grabbing the apple jelly that Wynonna had in stock.

“You know, you don’t have to eat a jelly sandwich, Chris.” Waverly rapped her fingernails against the wooden table and watched as Chrissy put the finishing touches on her sandwich.

Once she had poured herself some water to go along with her sandwich, Chrissy carried the glass and plate to the table and sat across from Waverly. “I know,” she finally answered. “But Mom always made me peanut butter and jelly sandwiches when I was little. Sometimes when I miss her it makes me feel a little closer to her.” She took a bite out of the sandwich and smiled as she chewed. “I know it’s embarrassing…a college student who still eats PB&Js…”

Waverly instantly reached out, covering Chrissy’s hand with her own, “Hey,” she interrupted. “It’s not embarrassing.” Chrissy sniffled slightly before her playful demeanor was back in place.

With dramatic flair, Chrissy dropped the sandwich onto the plate and gasped. “Waverly, I didn’t even think to ask,” she shouted. “How did everyone take the news?” Upon realizing that Waverly wasn’t following she gestured wildly with her hands, “Nicole, Waverly. How did they take it?”

Waverly’s eyes widened. “Chrissy! It was terrible,” she whined before letting her face fall into the oak table. The scraping of Chrissy’s chair against the floor was enough to have Waverly’s head shooting back up.

“I’ll kill them all, Waverly Earp,” Chrissy cried out, brandishing what was left of her sandwich as a weapon.

Waverly grabbed Chrissy’s hand and lowered the half-eaten sandwich. “No, Chris. I mean, they weren’t even surprised.” She watched as Chrissy took in the information. She nodded before taking the last bite of her sandwich. “They all thought I dated,” she looked around the room as though someone might hear the words that were going to come out of her mouth next, “Beth Gardner.”

Chrissy choked on what was left of the PB&J.

\--

“Sheriff Nedley, we’re received multiple phone calls about what looks to be two dead bodies near Washington Avenue. Please advise.”

Nedley spat the donut out of his mouth and ignored the crumbs that fell on his crisp uniform shirt. Purgatory had a lot of idiots that lived in the town, but they were simple folk. Nothing crazy ever happened. His days were spent writing traffic tickets or helping elderly women get from Point A to Point B.

“Dispatch,” he replied, “this is Nedley. I’ll check it out myself. Over.” He turned the key and waited for the cruiser to sputter to life. In the passenger seat, Lonnie began to look green. “Get it together, Son.” Lonnie nodded.

_I work with idiots. I really need to get some new talent in here._

As Purgatory wasn’t that big of a place, he was a mere five minutes away from Washington Avenue. Rather than alert any nosy neighbors to the situation, he chose to drive carefully: no lights, no sirens.

The streets were empty for the most part. If you were out in Purgatory after seven then it was to drink at Shorty’s or seek out adult entertainment at Pussy Willows. As sheriff, he assigned his least favorite officers to work the section of Purgatory that the “adult” bar fell under. He would happily deal with sloppy drunks at Shorty’s any day of the week over the likes of Bobo Del Rey’s crew.

He eased the car onto the shoulder and threw it into park. He looked at Lonnie who seemed to be one minute away from messing his pants and sighed. “Stay in the car. If I need backup, I’ll call.” He grabbed the flashlight from under the seat and then stepped out of the car.

He began to walk the street. Washington Avenue was practically a dirt road surrounded by fields of grass. He could smell the fresh cow manure from the pasture behind them. He had to admit that cow manure was a scent he would prefer over that of dead bodies. He began to hum to himself while swinging the light back and forth.

“Jesus Christ,” he grumbled as the flashlight illuminated two bodies.

-

Waverly felt her face burn as Chrissy began to laugh upon being told that Wynonna and Gus had assumed that at some point she and Beth Gardner had been romantically involved. Before Chrissy could get a word in, she felt the phone in her back pocket vibrate again. Chrissy had told her to ignore it every time, but for someone to call repeatedly? It had to mean something was going on. She held her finger up so that Chrissy understood to stop talking…or laughing. “Hello, Sheriff Nedley,” she answered, praying that the older man wasn’t angry with her for not answering sooner.

“You know you can call me Randy, Sweetheart,” the sheriff replied. “Look, dispatch got some calls earlier about two dead bodies on the outskirts of town-

“Oh my God,” Waverly interrupted. She brought her hand to her mouth in an attempt to keep herself from crying out. Thoughts ran through her mind of her uncle working in the field, or Gus being home alone while Curtis was out with his buddies. How many times was Randy Nedley going to be the bringer of bad news?

“No, no,” Nedley’s voice interrupted, seemingly understanding where Waverly’s thoughts had run off to. “It’s Wynonna,” he explained without missing a beat. She could faintly hear the groans and slurs of what she assumed to be the equivalent of the town drunk in the back of Nedley’s car. “Are you at the homestead?”

“I…I am,” she informed him.

“Right. I’m about ten minutes out. See you there.” The call dropped and Waverly sat in her seat, unsure of what was going on.

Chrissy, with as much tact as she could offer without coming off as nosy, cocked her head. “It was your dad,” Waverly supplied before rubbing her temple. “Something about Wynonna and dead bodies, but I wasn’t really understanding the correlation.” She bit her lip.

“So, we leave Purgatory and then cool stuff starts to happen? Of course,” Chrissy complained to herself. “The closest thing we had to a dead body was the smell of Pete York’s locker after gym class.” Waverly giggled nervously, unable to really pay attention to what Chrissy was saying.

A knock on wood had the youngest Earp jumping out of her seat and rushing to the front door. Chrissy followed behind her like an eager puppy hoping to earn their master’s approval. She took a deep breath and pulled the door open, unsure of what was going to be waiting for her on the other side.

Randy Nedley stood awkwardly on the front porch, hat in hand. Before he could speak a word, Chrissy had wrapped him into a firm embrace. They swayed back and forth for a few seconds before she pulled back and looked over him. “You’ve been eating at Shorty’s again, haven’t you?”

 He sheepishly looked away. “Now Chrissy, you’re the child,” he explained with a small smile. “You aren’t supposed to worry about me. I worry about you.” He then looked at Waverly and nodded, “Miss Earp, I hope that you’ve been keeping my daughter out of trouble while she’s off galivanting around.”

“Of course,” she huffed, looking over Sheriff Nedley’s shoulder in an attempt to figure out what Wynonna had to do with the phone call or his appearance on the homestead.

He placed the white Stetson back on his head and coughed. “Follow me,” he instructed. Waverly, always one to follow the rules, immediately took off after the sheriff. “As I mentioned, we got a call about two dead bodies.” She nodded even though she was walking behind the older man and he wouldn’t see her acknowledgment. “Lonnie and I were already out on patrol around the area, so I decided to answer the call. Now, Waverly, I don’t know if you’re really prepared to see this.”

She grabbed his wrist once they had made it to the cruiser, worry bubbling within her. Had Wynonna gotten hurt? “What is it?” She questioned. She heard the crunching of the gravel behind her and knew that Chrissy had followed the both of them.

He walked to the back of the patrol car and sighed before tugging the door open. “I found them like this. Could have written ‘em up for a whole list of things. Public intoxication, for sure.” After a moment of silence, he added, “indecent exposure, too if I wanted to.”

Waverly readied herself for whatever shape Wynonna was going to be in. Chrissy was holding one of her hands and squeezing every so often for support while the sheriff was scratching at his scruffy beard.

Chrissy peeked around Waverly and despite herself, began to laugh. Waverly let go of Chrissy’s hand and finally looked into the backseat of the cruiser.

She gasped upon seeing a shirtless Wynonna covered in mud and dirt cuddled into Nicole.

Now, Waverly couldn’t recall what Nicole had been wearing upon leaving the house earlier, but she knew that she wasn’t in tight leather pants, yellow caution tape, and a cowboy hat.

She reached in and tugged Wynonna by the arm, earning a loud yowl from her sister. She briefly wondered if it would just be simpler to let Nedley take Wynonna to the drunk tank but knew she couldn’t do that to her sister…no matter how appealing it seemed to be.

“Hey, girl,” Wynonna slurred. “Baby girl,” she added before stepping out of the cruiser and falling face down into the dirt road. Waverly, Chrissy, and the sheriff glanced at each other awkwardly, unsure of what to do in such a moment. Finally, Wynonna rolled herself over and began to rub at a small cut on her forehead, grumbling and slurring underneath her breath.

Waverly looked at Nedley and sighed, “I’m so sorry.” He nodded knowingly and bent over to help pick the brunette up from the ground. It was late, and he wanted to go home. Waverly shut the door that Wynonna had slid out from and walked around to the other side of the cop car. She gently pulled the door open, careful not to startle Nicole too much.

The redhead, however, had other ideas. As soon as Waverly had pulled the door open, Nicole was out of the car and tugging Waverly into a tight hug. “I missed you, so mush,” she whispered into light brown tresses. Waverly, unable to say anything in return, simply enjoyed being held by the drunken fool.

“Let’s get you inside, Charmer,” Waverly said while pulling out of the embrace. She held onto Nicole’s forearms and simply looked at the redhead. Even though she had cuts and scrapes all over her face and was dealing with some serious bruising and swelling, the idiot still looked good. Waverly helped Nicole get steered in the right direction and let go of her with the assumption that she was capable of walking without assistance.

Nicole took a step, faltered, and fell completely on her face. A squeak escaped the brunette’s mouth upon seeing Nicole’s pale ass in the moonlight. Waverly briefly wondered where the girl had gotten the pants from before realizing that Nicole’s lack of apparel wasn’t something that needed to be focused on at the moment. “Nice,” Chrissy whispered from her side after seeing Nicole’s butt.

\--

They had gotten Wynonna into her bed with relative ease. She had practically fallen back into the mattress without a word. Instead, she let out the occasional grunt and moan. Nicole, however, had been harder to manage. Waverly didn’t want the girl to sleep in chaps and caution tape, but she also didn’t want to be tasked with undressing the near-unconscious girl.

Chrissy had, thankfully, taken charge of the redhead and allowed Waverly to stay downstairs with Nedley.

She couldn’t be positive, but Waverly thought it might have something to do with the fact that she was putting off talking to her father about the fact that she had been in Purgatory and hadn’t bothered to go see him.

Nedley shuffled from foot to foot, obviously uncomfortable with the evening’s events. “Well,” he finally spoke, carefully avoiding eye contact, “you shouldn’t let your sister corrupt this new kid. She seems…nice.”

Waverly smiled. “She is,” she replied. “She, uh, actually wants to be a cop someday. I don’t know if it was mentioned at the ranch earlier.”

Nedley chuckled to himself, much to Waverly’s confusion. “She’s an honest drunk, that’s for sure” he laughed. “It makes me wonder what she would be like sober.”

“I hope she didn’t embarrass herself. She would be so upset,” Waverly admitted, more to herself than to Nedley but he sighed, nonetheless.

“Waverly.” He finally looked up so that the two of them were looking into each other’s eyes. “The girl was out of her mind drunk, and all she could talk about was you.” He then cleared his throat. “It’s obvious the girl cares about you. And anyway, I deal with a lot worse from Champ Hardy and his crew on Tequila Tuesdays. She’s fine.” He waited for Waverly to acknowledge his statement, but before she could say anything Chrissy ran down the stairs.

Her cheeks were flushed, whether, from embarrassment or something else, Waverly wasn’t sure. The blonde went over to her father and wrapped him into a hug before whispering something into his ear. Nedley pulled away and tipped his Stetson at the two women. “I’ll be getting out of your hair, Miss Earp.” Upon making it to the front door, he turned around. “Chrissy, I’ll see you in a few. I’ve got to take Lonnie back to the department.” Chrissy nodded and waved.

As soon as the door was shut, her best friend turned around and slapped her in the shoulder. “Oh. My. God. Waverly, Nicole is seriously…if I were into chicks then I would be all over that.” Waverly’s cheeks began to burn. Images of Nicole and Chrissy cuddling in bed and exchanging lazy kisses played behind her eyelids, searing her with a swelling rage. “Anyway, I’ve got to head out. Dad is expecting me to make it home before he does since he’s stopping by the station.” She sighed dramatically and placed her hand over her heart. “Nicole is a mess.” Her brows furrowed and her mouth opened and closed, unsure of what to say. Chrissy, instead, took the lead. “She kept asking me where ‘Wavily’ was. I told her you were busy, and she started to cry.”

“Oh my God, is she okay?” She shrieked, worried for her friend. Chrissy tilted her head and looked at Waverly as though she were trying to solve a complex math equation. The look unnerved her-almost as though she were trying to figure something out about Waverly that she herself hadn’t realized. “Okay, Chrissy,” Waverly forced a smile before grabbing her friend by the upper arm and opening the front door. “Let me know that you make it home okay,” she added, deciding that she had no real reason to be upset with Chrissy. Not wanting to leave Nicole upstairs unsupervised, she shoved the blonde out the door.

Remembering how Nicole had helped her with Wynonna the previous evening, she gathered a glass of water from the kitchen and made her way to the bathroom upstairs. She had decided it would ultimately be easier to carry the cup of water into the bathroom than attempt to take it to Nicole and then leave the girl alone with the drink. Waverly was not going to be charged with third-degree murder because she let Nicole drown with a cup of water.

She set the cup onto the sink and opened the medicine cabinet, hoping that Wynonna had kept the upstairs bathroom stocked for guests. Seeing that there was some ibuprofen on a shelf, she grabbed two and gently shut the cabinet back. She picked up the cup of water and eased her way back down the hall to their shared room.

She hadn’t been around Nicole when she wasn’t sober. She had mentioned once that she didn’t generally like drinking because she liked being in control of herself. With next to no information on how Nicole was with a hangover, she had no idea if she needed to bring a garbage can for vomiting purposes or what the proper protocol was.

Pushing the door open, she tip-toed into the bedroom and felt her stomach flip flop upon seeing Nicole tucked into the bed. Chrissy had somehow managed to get the girl into some pajamas. No, the girl had gone a step further, Waverly realized, upon seeing a contact case on the side table. She really hoped that Nicole had been coherent enough to remove her contacts…otherwise, Chrissy had gone above and beyond to get the girl into bed.

The thought of Chrissy taking care of Nicole left a bitter taste in her mouth. Trying not to think about it, she eased the bedroom door shut and made her way over to where the redhead was propped up. There were pillows behind her and she was reclined against the headboard. She gently set the glass down next to the contact case and left the two tablets next to it.

Ignoring the logical part of her brain, Waverly sat down on the bed near Nicole and reached out to gently touch the girl’s cheek. Instead, she tucked a strand of ginger hair behind Nicole’s ear. Eyes fluttered open slowly, as though she were trying her best to stay awake and focus. “How are you feeling, champ?” She questioned while rubbing tenderly at her blackened eye.

Nicole gagged and Waverly anxiously searched for something Nicole could spew her guts into that wasn’t her lap. “Don’t call me that,” she slurred. “Mmm, not a boy-man.” She then slumped over and began to snore softly.

Waverly giggled to herself at Nicole’s reaction, realizing that she wasn’t sick to her stomach but still, somehow managed to have a sense of humor. She pressed a light kiss to her forehead and turned to head out. She could sleep in her old bedroom for the night. Thankfully she had already been wearing her pajamas since she hadn’t been invited to whatever Wynonna had planned for the two of them. As she turned to leave, long fingers grasped at her wrist. She turned around and saw warm chocolate eyes and emotion in them that she couldn’t quite understand. “Stay,” Nicole croaked. “Please?”

Whether it was the heartbroken look on Nicole’s face or the warm feeling that radiated from where Nicole’s hand was grasping her wrist, all Waverly could do was nod. “Of course,” she whispered and eased herself out of Nicole’s hold. Brown eyes lazily followed her every move as though she feared Waverly to be a figment of her imagination or a mirage.

She made her way to the opposite side of the bed peeled back the blanket. She slid under the covers and marveled at the warmth that enveloped her. Although she was cold natured, Nicole was always able to provide a heat that she hadn’t felt in her life. “You’re drunk as a skunk and you still smell like vanilla,” she whispered into the room, certain that Nicole was too out of it to even comprehend the words.

Nicole chuckled and slowly sat up, effectively worrying the brunette girl. Had her comment somehow made Nicole uncomfortable?

Nicole took the medicine from the bedside table and threw them back into her mouth before chasing them down with the water. She then, after fumbling for a few seconds, managed to turn the lamp off, shrouding the entire room in darkness. Waverly could make out Nicole’s features thanks to the light emanating from the moon outside. Had there ever been someone as beautiful as Nicole in the history of mankind?

She didn’t think so.

Nicole fell back into the bed with a loud huff and groaned. Whether it was from an already-forming hangover or something else, Waverly didn’t know. “You’re pretty,” she finally commented before slowly rolling over onto her stomach. “So beautiful,” she added, before wrapping an arm around Waverly’s waist and easing her head onto the smaller girl’s chest.

The steady rhythm of Waverly’s heartbeat combined with the rise and fall of her chest had Nicole asleep within minutes.

Unsure of what to do at that moment, Waverly used her free hand to run her fingers through Nicole’s hair and sighed. Despite her dating history, she had never been in such an intimate position. With Nicole’s head resting gently on her chest, she felt safe…and somehow, even though it had only been a short period since she had known the girl, she felt loved.

\----

She woke up feeling so incredibly sick that she wondered if she was actually dying. She had endured basketball practices that made her so sick that she ended up passing out or throwing up, but the feeling she had upon waking up in Purgatory that morning was unlike anything she had ever felt before.

She raised her head slowly in an attempt to keep the room from spinning wildly out of control and was only mildly successful. Upon realizing that she had one hand on Waverly’s breast, she pulled away as though she had been scalded by a heat radiating from the smaller girl. She felt terrible. Waverly hadn’t consented to be touched…least of all by someone like her. It was that thought that had her stomach rolling and demanding her attention. As quietly and as quickly as she could, she untangled herself and ran to the bathroom down the hall, barely making it before the contents of her stomach met the porcelain bowl.

“Off to a great start, Nicole,” she reprimanded herself. Flushing the toilet, she stood up and stepped over to the sink to wash her hands, teeth, and face. The person in the mirror scared the shit out of her. She had body glitter all over her face and was certain that she smelled like a distillery. “Maybe a shower,” she admitted after sniffing her underarms. She crept back into the bedroom where Waverly was still asleep and sighed at the image. The girl was tugging on her heartstrings and she didn’t know what to do about it. Shaking away the thoughts, she made her way to her duffel bag and grabbed a change of clothes and her contacts.

Twenty minutes later, she emerged downstairs in slightly better shape. Wynonna was surprisingly awake and in the kitchen. She stood awkwardly in front of the stove, spatula in hand. Nicole cleared her throat, not wanting to scare the brunette who had no doubt had a rough night as well. “Good morning,” she rasped as soon as the blue-eyed woman turned to look at her.

Wynonna snorted, “you look like shit.”

Nicole looked Wynonna over and frowned. She was wearing a big t-shirt and some pajama shorts, but she didn’t look hungover or tired. “You look completely normal,” Nicole snapped back, a bit angry. “Why do you look okay? I’m dying.” Wynonna laughed loudly but abruptly stopped upon seeing the glare on Nicole’s face.

She sighed, “I’ve been drinking for a lot longer than you, Red.” She turned around to look at the stove again. “Also, I’m an Earp. We’ve got more alcohol in our blood than anything else.” She shrugged. “Hey, do you know how to cook this shit? Because I don’t.” Nicole slowly walked over and stared at a block of tofu that was sitting in a pan. It looked incredibly ridiculous, but she had to admit that it was sweet of Wynonna to try for Waverly.

Nicole grabbed the spatula from Wynonna, “I’ll make a tofu scramble for her, but I want two things out of it,” she bargained. Wynonna raised an eyebrow but nodded. “You tell her that you made it.” Wynonna opened her mouth to interject but Nicole shook her head. “And I need a ride to the McCready Ranch by the time that I’m finished.”

Wynonna squinted, trying to get a read on whatever Nicole was trying to do. Nicole simply stared back, unafraid to stand up to Wynonna…especially after whatever had happened the previous night. If anything, Wynonna owed her. “Okay, alright,” she rolled her eyes. “I’ll call Curtis to come to get you right now.” Nicole nodded before going through the cabinets and pulling out various ingredients.

As she began to scramble the tofu, she hoped that the meal would be edible. She had been watching vegan cooking tutorials on the internet upon meeting Waverly but hadn’t practiced the cooking aspect. Letting Waverly think Wynonna cooked the meal offered several advantages. She would think her sister had spent time trying to cook food for Waverly that was completely outside of her comfort zone and thus proving her seriousness in wanting to mend their relationship. If the food was disgusting then Nicole couldn’t be blamed, but she would still be appreciative that Wynonna had tried to prepare something vegan. Most importantly though, she didn’t want Waverly to think that she was sending subliminal messages…like, “I made you breakfast, can we make out now?”

…especially since she had woken up with her entire paw clinging to Waverly’s boob like it was a life-raft in the middle of the ocean!

She turned the stove off and admired her handiwork. It sort of looked like scrambled eggs. Her stomach was still feeling iffy, however, so she decided against tasting her creation. Instead, she walked toward the front door, pausing upon seeing Wynonna on the couch playing some sort of game on her cell phone. “Food is ready. You should wake your sister up.” Wynonna looked up at her with an unreadable expression. It unnerved her a bit so she decided to head out to the front porch where her ride would hopefully be pulling up soon.

The fresh air was like an instant hangover cure for her. As the wind gently blew against her, she could smell the faint morning dew and wildflowers. She began to walk toward the barn she had seen when she had first arrived at the homestead but thought better of it upon hearing the roar of an engine faintly headed her way.

A truck that looked a lot like Wynonna’s, only it bore a shade of mint green where Wynonna’s was blue. Behind the wheel, she could see that it was indeed Curtis who had been roped into being her taxi. He opened the door and eased out with a warm smile on his face. “Wynonna mentioned you needed a ride to our place?” She nodded, afraid that she came across as incompetent. Surely Wynonna would have let her borrow her truck. She knew she would get lost though. Hopefully, Curtis would consider that. “Well, let’s get to gettin’,” he chuckled before walking to the passenger door and opening it for her.

It was sweet in sort of a backward 1950s mindset sort of way. He was an older man though and they were visiting a town that probably hadn’t received any major upgrades since the actual fifties so she took it for what it was: a kind gesture. “Thank you,” she replied as he shut the door.

His truck was certainly neater than Wynonna’s, was the first thought she had upon seeing the interior of the truck. It smelled like some sort of tobacco product and gun oil, she realized. “Gus won’t get in here because of the smell,” he commented as though he could read her mind. “She lets me smoke my pipe outside, but in the winter?” He shrugged. “It gets cold. So, I do it in Sarah Jane here,” he rubbed the dashboard as though it were a dog receiving a scratch behind the ear.

Nicole’s worries that the man was upset with having to pick her up were soon gone. He seemed as genuine as they came. She wondered if it was who Waverly got her kindness from. “You remind me a lot of Waverly,” she found herself admitting aloud.

He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel absent-mindedly and smiled. “Well now, that is a compliment if I’ve ever heard one.” Nicole nodded. He was definitely the person that influenced Waverly’s good-natured spirit. “She’s a wonderful young lady,” he added seriously. “I never imagined she would bring home a girl.” Nicole swallowed thickly. She knew that everyone had been too welcoming of her presence and too open-minded.

“I’m sorry?”

He looked over at her, confusion on his face. “My dear, you have nothin’ to be sorry for. Forgive me. My old brain doesn’t say things the way I intend them to be understood.” She nodded despite…not understanding what was going on. “You might be a surprise, but I never said it was a bad ‘un. I’ve never seen that girl smile…” His voice cracked and he rubbed gently at his cheek. “I’ve never seen my Waverly smile so much before. You must really make her happy, Nicole.” She felt sick to her stomach again. “Thank you, Doll,” he finished. “We’re here,” he added with a watery chuckle.

She was going to be sick. She knew it. This man was thanking her for being there for Waverly, and it wasn’t real. None of it was real. She had never had this problem before with the other people who had used her as a date. It had been simply to lie to the faces of Jeremy’s family and every other family member of every person she had pretended to date. With Waverly’s family, however, it felt wrong and dirty.

“So, what exactly are you hoping to do over here?” He questioned, effectively bringing her out of her spiraling thoughts. She inhaled deeply and willed herself to not vomit all over the truck.

“Well, actually, I was hoping to work on the Jeep?” Curtis nodded and scratched at his stubble as though he were thinking of some diabolical plan.

After he shut the truck off and they had stepped outside onto the crunchy gravel, Nicole leaned against the truck for support upon seeing the place where, only yesterday, they had almost kissed: in the gravel where they had fallen over in their game of chase and in the McCready’s house where she had been doctored after her stupid game with Champ.

Curtis coughed to get her attention. “You know, she doesn’t want anything to do with that truck, dontcha?” She nodded. She had gotten enough information out of Waverly yesterday to realize that the girl associated the car with her mother, but she knew that if she could get the Jeep running then they could make new memories in it…Memories that would hopefully overrule the ones with her mother. “Something tells me that you’ll be able to change that,” he admitted with a sigh. “Well, come on then. Let’s go.” He started to walk toward the barn that housed the car and turned around to make sure she was following.

The man that Waverly considered a father practically was offering to help her fix up the car for the girl. With that, she smiled and took off after him. A thought struck her as she remembered the book she had taken notes in for Waverly. “So, do you like tomatoes?”

“Nicole,” he laughed before slinging his arm around her shoulder, “you might just be my favorite one yet.”

\--

Waverly looked at their breakfast with a bright smile on her face. Not only had her sister actively remembered that she was vegan, but she learned how to cook some vegan meals in her absence. She had half expected Wynonna to throw a piece of bread at her and call it a day. What shocked her the most, however, was how edible it looked. She looked at Wynonna who had shuffled the food around her plate with a frown. “What’s wrong?”

Wynonna jumped, startled by the question. She almost looked as though she were in trouble for some reason or another. Steely blue eyes met her gaze before she dissolved into a smile. “I’m afraid to eat it, baby girl,” she admitted.

She took a sip of her tea and enjoyed the warmth that the mug offered. It was like Nicole in that sense. She sighed as she thought about the redhead. She had woken up to an empty bed. At first, she had assumed that Nicole had ended up on the floor again, but upon getting up realized that wasn’t the case at all. The sheets still smelled overwhelmingly like the girl, so she clearly had slept in the bed the entire night.

As she got her clothes together and made her way to the shower, it became more obvious that Nicole had been up for a while. She had left the cap off of the toothpaste on the bathroom sink and had gotten some water on the floor after showering. It should have annoyed her but instead, it excited her. It meant that Nicole was already awake and downstairs waiting for her.

After going through the motions of her shower, she wrapped her hair in a towel and put on her denim shorts and an old Shorty’s shirt that she tied up. If Nicole could show off her arms by wearing her old jerseys, then she could do the same.

By the time she had made it down the stairs, a wonderful aroma had hit her nose. She briefly wondered if Wynonna had made herself breakfast and forgotten about her two guests but was pleasantly surprised to see that Wynonna was making two plates.

She then realized that if she was spooning two plates then the third member of the house was absent. “Where is Nicole?”

Wynonna dropped a piece of toast that she had been making and let out a quiet yelp before spinning around. “Curtis picked her up.” She then put a plate and a cup of tea in front of Waverly before carrying her own plate of food and what looked to be a bottle of beer over to the seat across from her.

Which was how they found themselves with Wynonna admitting that she was afraid to try the food she had cooked. “Well, it looks delicious,” she replied before stabbing a bit of tofu and delicately placing it in her mouth. Instantly an array of flavors overtook her palate and she moaned. “Wynonna, this is so good,” she continued to eat, not caring that Nicole was gone with Curtis for whatever reason.

“It is?” She looked genuinely surprised before taking a bite out of the meal herself. “Oh shit, this is good,” she admitted before taking bigger bites and eating as though she were starving. “Red sure is missing out,” she added before washing everything down with the beer.

Waverly felt like gagging at the idea of drinking alcohol so early in the morning, but her sister had always been a weird one. “Is it wise to be drinking when you were so drunk last night that you passed out in the middle of nowhere?” She questioned. With each word, she began to get angrier thinking about the fact that she had endangered Nicole with her selfishness. “Seriously, Wynonna, what were you thinking? People were calling the police about two dead bodies on the side of the road!”

Wynonna bit her lip to keep from laughing but found that she couldn’t help herself. “People thought we were dead?” She sniggered. “Nice.”

“No,” Waverly quickly interrupted. “Not nice, Wynonna. My girlfriend doesn’t drink the way that you do,” she spat. “Anything could have happened to the two of you,” she finished quietly. It completely escaped her mind that she had called Nicole her girlfriend with such ease that it didn’t even phase her.

Wynonna looked down at her plate and began pushing the food around again. She looked like a kicked puppy, a look that only Nicole could pull off perfectly, but Wynonna’s was still causing her to feel guilty. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

Waverly sipped on her tea, using it to ground herself. “No,” she replied upon putting the cup down, “I shouldn’t have yelled at you.” Wynonna looked up at her, hopeful that things hadn’t been ruined between them after one breakfast together. “Seriously though, what the hell did you two get into?”

Wynonna’s face scrunched up and twisted into a look of disgust. “I remember being on stage,” she explained before bursting into laughter. “Oh my God, your strawberry pop tart was too!” She began to cackle loudly as images from the night before began to flash through her mind. “Ooh, we were not doing a good job,” she winced as a particularly embarrassing memory played.

Waverly looked on as Wynonna continued to work through a range of emotions before calmly asking what she considered an important question. “Were the two of you at a strip joint?” Wynonna’s eyes widened and a look of terror crossed her face. Calm Waverly was actually a scary Waverly.

“Look, it was no big deal. Take it up with Red.” She grabbed her plate and stood up abruptly, taking her empty dish to the kitchen sink. She glanced at a clock on the wall and let out a breath of air that sounded suspiciously like “thank God.” The younger Earp continued to sit at the kitchen table and waited for Wynonna to explain. “Doc is picking me up to get the truck before heading back to work on the ranch. Do you want to come with me? You could drive the truck into town and visit with baby Nedley and then come pick me and Nicole up later?”

Before answering she took another sip of tea and grimaced upon realizing that it had gotten cold. “Fine,” she retorted before getting up from her seat. “And you’re doing the dishes later,” she huffed before running back upstairs to grab her phone and wallet. She stopped briefly in front of a mirror and took the towel out of her hair and attempted to smooth her tresses with her fingers. Deciding that it didn’t actually matter what she looked like, she slid some old cowboy boots on that were resting in the closet. She didn’t take the time to figure out if they had been an old pair of hers, Wynonna’s, or Willa’s.

\---

During the day, Shorty’s was a lot calmer than the night. The few people that were around were enjoying their lunch breaks while eating with friends as opposed to being there to drink their sorrows away while playing pool. She tapped her fingers against the oak table and waited patiently for Chrissy to show up.

Before she had a chance to pull her phone out to check the time, a dark-haired woman came into view. “Are you on your break?” She questioned with a smile. Waverly didn’t understand the question. Did the woman assume she was here with the lunch crowd because she was on break from a job somewhere near?

“No,” she responded awkwardly. The girl let out a sigh of relief and sat down opposite her. “Can I help you?”

“Do you have a wine list?” The girl questioned before smiling at her. Waverly tilted her head to the side, unsure of what to make of the exchange. Was the girl wearing a Bluetooth earpiece or something? But why would she be asking someone on the phone about wine?

Waverly chuckled awkwardly and prayed that Chrissy would show up sooner than later. “Excuse me?” She finally questioned upon realizing that the girl was just making awkward eye contact with her.

“Okay,” she tapped her knuckles on the table and sighed, “what about water? Can I get a water? Please?”

Waverly bit her lip. She could probably go behind the bar. She used to work at Shorty’s after all. It seemed as though the bartender had taken a break as it was which would explain why this woman wanted something to drink and was willing to ask a customer for it. “I’m not sure I’m supposed to go back there?”

“Don’t you work here?”

“No,” Waverly replied, “not anymore.”

The girl’s curious look turned into a look of pity. She placed her hand across the table and grabbed Waverly’s. “I’m so sorry you were fired. I’ll try to find someone else,” she stood up from the booth and began to walk away before Waverly could say something else. She then realized that she was wearing the Shorty’s uniform and blushed at the embarrassing exchange.

Feeling as though she needed to clear the air, she followed the girl to the bar and sat next to her. “Hi,” she offered her hand, “my name is Waverly. I think we had a little mix-up. I worked here before I went to college, and I made the mistake of wearing my old uniform.” She laughed at the absurdity of the situation.

The other girl began to laugh as well. “I’m so sorry,” she grabbed Waverly’s hand and shook it gently. “I’m embarrassed.”

“Don’t be. In fact, I’m sure I can sneak back there and get us a drink. Purgatory never changes, right? I’m sure everything is where it used to be.” She joked.

The other girl, who was certainly easy to look at, laughed lightly. “I wouldn’t know. I’m not from around here. I’m Shae.” Waverly, who had gotten off the stool to head behind the bar, fell back into her seat.

 _There was no way_ …

“Ha.Ha.” She awkwardly laughed before going behind the bar and grabbing two mugs. She poured water into the glasses and began to carry them back to their seat, worrying her lip the entire time. A dark-haired man walked over and began to order a drink. “I don’t work here,” she shouted, nerves taking over her.

She sat next to Shae and decided to do some digging. She knew enough about Nicole’s Shae from Nicole herself. If she played her cards right, then she could figure out if this was the same person of just a coincidence. “Here you go,” she slid the glass of water over and began to sip out of her own.

“Thank you,” she replied with a smile. If it was the same Shae, then she didn’t actually stand a chance in vying for Nicole’s affection. Not that she wanted to have Nicole’s affection. She just knew that Nicole wasn’t the same person now that she had been when she had dated Shae. She didn’t want Nicole to have her heartbroken again.

She took a slow drink from her cup and looked around the bar. She wondered where Chrissy had ended up since she was promptly ten minutes late. She looked into dark brown eyes and took her shot. “You said you weren’t from around here? Purgatory doesn’t really get newcomers.” The girl arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

“I’m actually here to visit an old friend.” Waverly smiled but deep down she could feel a chill running down her spine. Her hands were tingling and there was just something within her telling her that this was Shae Pressman.

Before she could respond, she felt slim arms around her waist and a floral smell overtook her senses. She would recognize that scent anywhere. She lived with the girl after all. “Chrissy,” she turned around and hugged the girl despite having seen her last night. The blonde looked over at Shae for a moment before smiling at her as well.

“Where is Nic-

“Nicholas,” Waverly shouted in a panic. Shae looked at her as though she had grown a second head, but she ignored her to give Chrissy a pointed look, “is out of town.” Chrissy nodded as though she understood what was going on, but Waverly could tell the girl was completely lost. Not that she blamed her. “Anyway, Shae, it was nice to meet you. I hope you find your friend. Purgatory is small so you shouldn’t have any issues locating her.”

“Her?” Shae questioned.

“Or him,” Waverly replied before curtsying awkwardly and running out of Shorty’s with Chrissy in tow. Upon making it to Wynonna’s truck, Waverly let out a breath of air she hadn’t realized she had been holding. Chrissy placed a hand on the brunette’s forehead and waited for a second before pulling the hand away with a tut.

“You don’t have a fever. So, want to explain what the hell that was?” Waverly stomped her foot like a petulant child and whined as Chrissy slid into the passenger seat of the Ford. Waverly jumped into the driver’s side and started the truck, not wanting Shae to think they were simply sitting outside spying on her. She drove down the street and toward the deli that was near the police department. For once thankful for the smallness of Purgatory, she got out of the truck and followed Chrissy inside. “I’ll go get us some food. You’re going to find us a seat and explain to me what the fresh hell I just witnessed.” Waverly had enough sense to look embarrassed and followed Chrissy’s instructions.

She chose a spot in the corner of the restaurant, not wanting to run into anyone they might have gone to school with. She pulled out her cell phone and grumbled upon seeing that she had no messages from Nicole.

**Nicole, is everything alright? (11:23 am)**

Chrissy came back with two drinks in her hand and a small piece of paper with a phone number written on it. Waverly looked at the cashier that had taken Chrissy’s order and snorted upon seeing a nicely dressed man who was staring at Chrissy. “Explain why you just curtsied out of Shorty’s like some sort of princess in a seriously degrading Disney movie.”

“I think that might have been Nicole’s ex.” Waverly shrugged her shoulders, knowing that she didn’t need to pretend with Chrissy. Her best friend gasped and sputtered a few non-coherent words together before shaking her head and pulling herself together. “I also think she’s here to try and work things out with her.”

She then began to cry despite not knowing why.

Her phone vibrated on the table. She furiously wiped away the tears that had fallen out without her permission and clicked on her incoming message.

**No. I miss you. Xx (11:30 am)  
Wynonna is sending you a picture (11:31 am)**

Sure enough, she received a text from Wynonna as soon as she had read Nicole’s text. She opened the picture and smiled at the ridiculousness of the picture. Nicole and Curtis were standing side by side with grease stains and oil marks all over their faces and clothes while sporting two shit-eating grins. Nicole was wearing a white Stetson while her uncle was wearing a black one.

Uncle Curtis was the one person in her life who had never let her down, and to see him so happy with an arm wrapped around Nicole? She couldn’t explain the warmth that bloomed in her chest or why her heart was racing. She continued to look at the picture: at the way Nicole’s dimple was popped out, at how good she looked wearing those dumb cowboy hats she always made fun of Curtis for wearing. More important than all of that though, was the look Curtis was giving Nicole. Like she was family. As though he had accepted Nicole as one of their own-as Waverly’s.

 “What are you smiling at?” Chrissy questioned.

She handed the phone over to her best friend with a shaky hand, a sudden realization hitting her. Chrissy grabbed the phone and looked at the picture before letting out an aww at the adorableness of the situation. “I bet Daddy would love her if she’s managed to win Curtis over.” She handed the cell phone back to Waverly, a smile on her face. The smile fell immediately upon seeing the look on her best friend’s face. “Waves, what is it?”

“I like Nicole.”

Chrissy rolled her eyes. “Sweetie, we all like Nicole.” Waverly shook her head and looked around the restaurant frantically. She felt as though the walls were closing in on her. How had she been so naïve? So stupid?

She grabbed the edge of the table to ground herself at the moment. She took in a deep breath and then looked at Chrissy. “No.” She shook her head. “Chrissy, I _like_ her.”

Chrissy nodded with a fake smile, clearly not understanding Waverly’s statement.

 _Give it a minute,_ Waverly thought. “Oh!” Chrissy shouted, earning a confused look from the other customers in the deli. “Oh, sweetie,” she cooed before getting out of her chair and plopping down into the one next to Waverly. “I already knew that.” She pressed a kiss to the side of Waverly’s face.

“No. You didn’t,” Waverly gasped.

“Honey, I did,” she replied. “But I’m glad that you’ve caught up with what everyone else already knew.”

Waverly didn’t know how to explain the emotions she was feeling at that moment. On the one hand, everyone already thought she was in a relationship with Nicole so…she technically wouldn’t have to come out again?

But then Chrissy’s words hit her like a slap in the face. “Even Nicole?” Chrissy threw her head back and laughed.

“No,” she admitted in between fits of giggles. She then dabbed at her eyes where small tears had begun to form. “Nicole is an idiot.”

“She’s not an idiot,” Waverly defended. “Well, maybe a little,” she added as an afterthought, thinking of all the dumb things the girl had done in their short time together. Chrissy squealed from her seat, bringing Waverly’s thoughts to a sudden pause. “What?”

“I’m going to call Jeremy. Operation Wayhaught is a go!” She grabbed her purse and ran toward the bathroom leaving Waverly hungry and confused.

“Chrissy,” she shouted toward her friend’s retreating figure, “what is a way hot?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I shamelessly plug my twitter and tumblr every chapter so I won't put the link this time. 
> 
> Also, I'll edit this chapter later. I'm actually running late to a thing at my brother's house so I'm sorry if this has some super terrible errors in it that need to be fixed. I will get on that ASAP.


	10. Chapter X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Sorry that this update is so late getting to ya. I've been doing my best to write long chapters as requested, but it kind of takes time. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

She had ridden with Curtis to Juan Carlos’ Tire and Lube shop to pick up the various items needed to make Waverly’s cherry red Jeep run like new again. Despite its lack of use, the engine had still looked remarkable under the hood, and Nicole had found herself impressed at the machinery. Still, it needed a new battery, various filters, some oil, and a few gadgets and toys that were, unfortunately, going to set her back a pretty penny. Thankfully the tires had been kept up with for the most part and didn’t require much to be road-ready.

When Nicole thought about the fact that the car hadn’t cranked up in years, however, she was surprised at how little was wrong with the Jeep. She had never really intended to take Waverly up on her offer of keeping the vehicle but knowing that it was worth something truly cemented that fact.

Each step closer to fixing the Jeep, however, found her a step further away from the police academy. She was pouring all of her savings into the Wrangler just because she wanted Waverly to have the world.

She was a useless lesbian, and she owned it.

She wiped her hands on a towel that Curtis had left behind for her and looked intently at the car. Deciding that it was now or never, she climbed into the Jeep and inhaled deeply. With a sigh, she eased the key into the ignition and let out a whoop when the engine sputtered to life. The time on the clock was off by five hours, and the speakers were crackling (whether it was due to being broken or a lack of radio station in Purgatory, Nicole wasn’t sure). Even so, Waverly’s Jeep was running.

She pulled the gear shift down into drive and then rolled out of the barn; the entire time the smile on her face never faded

Wynonna looked over at her from where she had played basketball with Champ and Doc and sent her the briefest of nods. Worried over whether the simple gesture meant something negative, she began to panic when Waverly’s sister began to walk over to where she had parked the Jeep. It became slightly visible to Nicole that Wynonna was in no hurry to make it to the vehicle, so she jumped out of the Jeep herself and began to walk the length of the car.

 

She wanted to get the Jeep washed before she tried to present it to Waverly. The girl seemed to loathe the car already; she refused to add the dusty film onto the long list of reasons why Waverly Earp declined to sit in the Jeep. Thinking about Purgatory, she briefly wondered if the town even had a car wash or if she was going to be forced to wash it by hand.

 

She didn’t mind manual labor. She was fixing the Jeep after all. She didn’t want to spend more time apart from Waverly than she had to. She wasn’t going to ask the beautiful girl to spend an afternoon with her while she washed the car that Waverly hadn’t even wanted in the first place. She looked at where the doors had been taken off and wondered if Waverly would prefer to have them on.

 

She knew she was assuming that Waverly would come around to the idea of driving the Jeep, but she had a feeling that it was a possibility. Before she could put any more thought into it, a hand rested on her shoulder.

 

It would have frightened her had she not known Wynonna was power walking her way at a zombie’s pace. “Yeah?”

 

Wynonna looked around and nodded her head. She tapped her fingers against the metal and then clapped her hard on the back. “Good job, Red. It looks like you wasted all this time fixing something that’ll never get used. You must be stupid.” With another slap on the back, Wynonna had gone, taking her good mood with her.

 

“Don’t listen to her.” Nicole spun around, this time caught off-guard and clutched her chest. Gus was standing there, offering a cup of what looked to be lemonade to her. She grabbed the glass and relished the feeling of the cold condensation against her hand. “I think that with the way Waverly looks at you, she’ll be thrilled at what you’ve managed to do with Michelle’s vehicle. Maybe you should clean it up.” The gray-haired woman looked inside at the floorboards and scoffed. “Clean it up.” She demanded. “Then take that girl somewhere special. If you work hard enough, then she won't think about my good-for-nothing sister every time she sees it.” Nicole took a sip of the lemonade and fought the urge to wince at how sour it was. “Good girl,” Gus laughed. “If you can handle my lemonade, then welcome to the family. Wynonna still can’t do it.”

 

Nicole sighed, unsure of what to say at that moment. Whatever truce she and Wynonna had was gone and out the window. The brunette was back to insulting her every move. She wanted to text Waverly and find out what the problem was, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Waverly and Wynonna had a problematic relationship. She wasn’t going to add her issues with Wynonna into the mix. After all, she didn’t want Waverly and Wynonna to fight over something as stupid as herself. “Where might one go in Purgatory?”

 

Gus laughed, earning a glare from Wynonna and a dazzling smile from Curtis, who was working with his tomatoes. “That is a good question. If you figure it out, then let Curtis know. I’ve been waiting on that fool to find a good date spot since 1982.” She placed a dainty hand on Nicole’s shoulder and smiled. “You’ll do fine, kid.”

 

She swallowed her nerves and thought about driving into town to pick up a few necessary items if she were brave enough to ask Waverly out. She didn’t want to ask Curtis to drive her back into town since the man had only gotten back an hour ago. “Would you or Mr. McCready own a GPS?” Gus looked confused for a moment before realization dawned on her face. She was an outsider that didn’t know her way around.

 

She nodded. “Come inside. Wash off. Do you need to borrow the truck? I’d say you could use that awful motorcycle of my husband’s, but he gets mad if people use it without asking.” She rolled her eyes as though it were something that happened too often.

 

“I think I’ll try to take Waverly’s Jeep into town. See if it’s going to run. I need to find a carwash. I have to make sure it’s perfect for her,” she added as an afterthought, utterly oblivious to the look that Gus was throwing at her.

 

 

 

 

 

An hour, two rinses in the sink, a worn flannel shirt of Doc’s, and a GPS later, Nicole found herself in the city limits of Purgatory. The GPS had threatened to quit on her a few times, and the Jeep had briefly given her a fit before realization kicked in that it needed some gasoline, but she had made it into town by herself. It felt like a small win to her despite her losing streak in Purgatory.

 

There had been one carwash in the entire town. A kind older woman had given her directions since her GPS had practically given up on Purgatory having anything besides a police station and a bar. She was thankful for the fact that the station was old-fashioned and only offered a self-service station (because she was a moron that hadn’t looked into putting the doors or top back on the vehicle). She had avoided getting water on the inside as much as she could but quickly vacuumed any droplets that had found themselves on the interior.

 

She had gone to the grocery store and picked up a few decent items to eat since Wynonna had been unprepared to serve food for a vegan. The tofu block debacle at breakfast was not something she wanted to endure a repeat performance of. She had spent as little money as she could on items that would be easy to prepare for the tiny vegan.

 

Before she had been able to check out a small bouquet had caught her attention. She hadn’t known anything about flowers, but they were vibrant colors that reminded her of Waverly’s shining personality. She wanted to buy them for the girl that had been on her mind all day but worried that Waverly would see it as Nicole coming on too strong. Then again, she could always downplay it and pretend that it was because of their arrangement.

 

Grabbing them before she could change her mind, she made her way to the register and paid for the small number of groceries she had accumulated. She was going to have to find a job when she got back to school to replenish all the money she had lost upon arriving in Purgatory.

 

She carried the few groceries to the car and groaned upon feeling the phone in her pocket vibrate. She knew Waverly wouldn’t be calling her since they had talked a little earlier. The younger girl had been spending the afternoon with Chrissy Nedley. She had shared Waverly’s bout of anger upon realizing they could have ridden with her in an actual car instead of the stupid bus.

 

She couldn’t be _too_ upset, though. The bus ride had been the only reason Waverly had fallen asleep with her head against Nicole’s shoulder.

 

Her phone continued to vibrate, much to her annoyance. She threw the groceries into the small area behind the front seats and gently sat the flowers in the passenger seat next to her before clambering into the Jeep. “Hello.” She huffed, not bothering to look at the caller id.

 

“Nicole,” the rich voice gave the caller away immediately.

 

She pressed her face against the steering wheel and groaned. “Hey, Shae.” It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk to her ex. She didn’t want to think about Shae while in her current headspace. It had taken her a long time, but she had finally begun to move on.

 

“Look,” she heard Shae inhale deeply. The other girl was nervous. “I’m already in town. I’m at some place called Shorty’s. I’ve been here for a while -

 

“Shae,” Nicole interrupted, “I thought I told you that I would call you? You just showed up here even though you didn’t know whether I would be busy or not?” She wanted to be angry with her ex-girlfriend, but honestly, she couldn’t bring herself to be upset.

 

“I know. I know.” Shae was quick to inform. “I didn’t think you would call me back and set up a date. I figured I would wait for you. To get finished with your plans.” Nicole coughed, to get some sound out to permeate the awkward silence. “Please, Nicole?”

 

Nicole looked at the clock on the dashboard before remembering that she had yet to set it to the right time. “Are you there now? At Shorty’s?” Upon hearing Shae’s confirmation, she bit her lip. “Okay. Yeah. I’ll be there soon. I’m on my way.”

 

She hung up and attempted to fix the clock in the car. She growled upon realizing she would need a bobby pin or a thumbtack to set the time. Nicole thought about texting Waverly to ask if she had any around the homestead but thought better of it. Instead, she pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the bar. If there was one thing that she could be thankful for in the small town of Purgatory, it was that most things were on the same street. She could practically see Shorty’s from her spot near the grocery store.

 

It had been a while since Nicole and Shae had spent any real-time together. She was almost concerned about the awkwardness of whatever was about to occur, but there was a small part of her that believed that they might fall back into their old routines with each other. Maybe it would be like old times. They could play off of each other and have a renewed friendship.

 

Before she could think about the mess she had gotten herself into by meeting up with Shae in a public location (of the hometown of her supposed girlfriend), she was parallel parking into a spot across the street from Shorty’s. “Calm down, Nicole,” she told herself while wiping her palms against the fabric of her oil-stained jeans.

 

She considered driving away and texting Shae that something had come up. It wasn’t her fault that the girl showed up without giving Nicole any warning. She could have had plans. “Hey, cowboy.” Her head whipped up, straining her neck in the process. Shae was standing outside of the Jeep in a faded Flames t-shirt that had been tied up to show smooth skin and denim shorts that showed off long legs. “Nicole?”

 

Nicole cleared her throat and grabbed the keys from the ignition. “How did you know I was out here?” She quickly glanced at the groceries in the back and wondered if they would be alright unsupervised. Surely, she thought, Purgatory didn’t have strangers that went around stealing groceries out of cars. Then again, the weirdos that she could remember from Wynonna’s stripping cowboy bar seemed like they might have grocery thievery on their resume skills.

 

Shae chuckled and reached into the Jeep to pull the forgotten Stetson off of Nicole’s head. “Even from my spot in the bar, I could see this fiery mess.” She ran her fingers through Nicole’s hair affectionately and pulled away upon realizing the action was far too intimate. Nicole, for the most part, kept her cool. “Are those…are those for me?” Nicole looked at Shae, a question already on her lips, before seeing that Shae’s line of sight had zeroed in on the colorful flower selection resting in the passenger seat.

 

She scratched at a spot on the nape of her neck before weighing her options. On the one hand, the flowers were not at all for Shae. They were for Waverly in some lame attempt to woo her. The more she thought about Waverly even remotely giving her a chance, the dumber she felt. She didn’t want to fall into the age-old stereotype of being a dumb jock, but the idea that Waverly could ever like her was downright stupid.

 

Besides, it wasn’t as though Shae would get the wrong impression from the flowers. It could be a friendly gesture. With her mind made up, she grabbed the flowers and eased out of the car. “Yes, ma’am.” She handed the bouquet over and watched as Shae brought them to her nose.

 

With a small grin, Shae placed the hat back on Nicole’s head and used her newly-freed hand to grasp Nicole’s. “I’ve pretty much got a booth with my name on it at this point,” she joked quickly, as though time hadn’t passed between them. Somehow it both calmed and unnerved Nicole how unphased Shae was in her presence. The last time she had seen the girl they had both cried amidst declarations of love and promises that _if_ the stars ever aligned for them, then they wouldn’t hold back.

 

She followed Shae into the bar she’d visited just nights ago with Waverly and Wynonna. She glanced up and groaned upon seeing Champ at the pool tables. “Seriously? Is he ever at work?” She grumbled to herself while touching the leftover shiner from his elbow to her face. It was hard to believe she and Waverly had only been in Purgatory for three days.

 

Three days and she had managed to:

  1. Piss off the rodeo champ
  2. Get shit -faced while attempting to strip for Wynonna’s honor or something (the details were still a little blurry, and if the gods were kind, she wouldn’t get more memories of that night back)
  3. Get the old Jeep running despite Wynonna’s taunt of it being a horrible idea
  4. End up meeting up with the one that got away (except now she thinks maybe Shae was never meant to be _the_ one)



She squeezed into the booth on the opposite side of Shae, who had placed the flowers on the tabletop as though they were something meaningful and not some flowers she had grabbed at a grocery store for a beautiful woman that would never be interested in her.

 

She glanced at the table that she and the Earp sisters had sat and on their first night in town and signed wistfully.

 

If she could go back in time and tell Jeremy that she was absolutely not going to meet Waverly Earp for coffee at Rosita’s, would she? Knowing what she knows, would it change any of her actions? She was, after all, more broke upon going to Purgatory with Waverly than she was before even meeting the girl.

 

She was still dedicated to joining the academy. She also knew that if she took Waverly’s Jeep and sold it, then she would have no problem having enough money to join. Even though the shorter girl had been adamant about not wanting the car, she couldn’t bring herself to take it as payment.

 

“Nic, what’s wrong?”

 

She looked at Shae and felt something in her chest snap. There was absolutely no reason for her to not listen to whatever it was Shae wanted to talk about. “Not a thing.” She smiled and removed the Stetson from her head. Shae, in a movement that reminded Nicole of a skittish deer, reached out to brush her fingertips against pale knuckles but pulled away before contact could be made. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

 

\---

 

Waverly had spent the majority of her day listening to Chrissy squeal on the phone with, who she assumed to be Jeremy. She wasn’t entirely confident because her so-called “best friend” hadn’t put the phone on speakerphone at any point, but she had heard her name mentioned with Nicole’s enough that she had no idea who else it could be.

 

Every now and then she would catch Chrissy looking at her intently. It was weird, and if she were honest with herself, it scared her. It was a mix of shock, awe, and pride, and it befuddled her.

 

She looked down at her shirt and sighed, upset that she hadn’t thought to change outfits before heading into town. She was a bit embarrassed to be walking around Purgatory with her old work uniform. Especially since she had made an idiot of herself in front of someone that could only be Nicole’s ex-girlfriend. “Psh,” she scoffed, rubbing at invisible lint on her shorts to give her fingers something to do.

 

Why was Shae in Purgatory of all places? What did she expect to get out of the Ghost River Triangle? Was she there for the sole purpose of winning Nicole back? The redhead had been adamant that they had ended on good terms. That thought alone worried her more than anything. What would she do if the person she was genuinely starting to fall for ran back into her ex’s arms? Waverly audibly scoffed. That would be her luck. Maybe she was destined to be with some sad boy-man like Hardy. The thought of her ex-boyfriend made her stomach lurch in disgust. Boy, did she know how to pick them.

 

“Uh-huh. Yep. Definitely.” Chrissy rolled her eyes and waved her hand as though it would get the other person (definitely Jeremy) to get off the phone. “Alright. Buh-bye. Mwah.” Waverly arched an eyebrow at her roommate’s antics. “So, Jeremy is definitely on board with the plans.”

 

“Uh, what plans?” Waverly attempted to interrupt but was completely ignored.

 

“Well, he actually said he didn’t want to meddle in the affairs of other people because it was morally ambiguous and required an emotional range that he wasn’t capable of reaching, _but_ I know that was just his nerdy speak for #TeamWayhaught.” Waverly’s eyes became unfocused in her attempt to follow along with Chrissy’s neverending word vomit. “Anyway, we need to go to the station. I promised Daddy that I would bring him a salad from here since we were already out eating.”

 

“But-

 

“Okay, God, Waverly, you don’t have to crucify me. No, I didn’t promise him I would bring him a salad, but the man looks like he’s one cheeseburger away from a heart attack.”

 

Rather than accidentally get into an argument with the girl, Waverly just kept a tight-lipped smile on her face and nodded, eager for the girl to either calm down or get so worked up from excitement that she passed out. Either one was acceptable, in Waverly’s opinion. “So, to the station?” She asked, praying that Chrissy would calm down.

 

Chrissy smiled, all teeth and slightly unnerving, but nodded nonetheless. “Let me get a salad for Dad first. I’ll meet you in the car?” The brunette gave her an awkward thumbs up and grabbed her belongings before high-tailing it out of the deli.

 

She walked out of the restaurant and made her way to where Chrissy had haphazardly parked. She was thankful for the fact that Nedley was the sheriff; otherwise, her best friend would have definitely been fined for her shoddy parking job. Waverly tugged at the door handle and jumped into the passenger seat and quickly buckled herself in. It was only going to be a short drive to the sheriff’s department, but she wasn’t going to take any chances with Chrissy behind the wheel.

 

She wondered if Nicole would ever let her out of mundane things like parking tickets or speeding tickets. She giggled when she thought about toying with the redhead to get out of such a thing and seeing the girl stammer her way through Waverly’s flirtation.

 

Before she could think about it any longer, the back door was opening. Chrissy eased the to-go order into a seat and slammed the door before opening her own door and slipping into the driver’s seat. She cranked the car without saying a word and then gave Waverly a once-over before backing out of the lot. “Good for you, Waves,” she finally stated. Before the brunette could ask what Chrissy was referring to, Chrissy explained. “I’m just happy that you’re opening yourself up to all these new possibilities, you know?”

 

_Bump._ “Chrissy, you just ran over the curb.”

 

“It’s fine. That’s what they’re there for, babe.” Waverly laughed. “I’m serious, though,” Chrissy squeezed her thigh. “I’ve seen you and Nicole together. She literally never left the apartment.”

 

Waverly took in a deep breath. It meant everything to have Chrissy’s support on something so life-altering, but the question still remained. “Don’t you think it’s too soon?” Chrissy slammed the brakes, sending the salad into the floorboard.

 

She began laughing to herself, “Too soon was Champ trying to get back with you after his first round of antibiotics for the clap.”

 

“Wait, what?”

 

“Never mind,” Chrissy retorted, narrowingly missing a parked car. “The point is that it isn’t too soon. You said you liked her. Not that you wanted to marry her and have her babies.” Waverly blushed.  “Anyway, we’re here. Let’s deliver this salad to my dad and then we can work on the plan.”

 

Waverly unbuckled herself and said a prayer in each language that she knew to thank any gods for letting her survive Chrissy’s driving unscathed. She ran ahead to the door and held it open for the girl carrying in a completely disheveled salad. “Yuck,” Chrissy pointed to Lonnie as they passed him. “Can you imagine Nicole wearing an outfit like that? Khakis do not look good on anyone,” she laughed.

 

Waverly conjured the image up in her mind. “Yeah,” she sighed dreamily. Nicole would definitely look good in khakis.

 

She immediately ran into Chrissy who had stopped rather abruptly in the middle of the hall. “Gross. I’m all for you and Nicole playing naked Twister and whatnot, but don’t be all giggly and wistful around me.”

 

Waverly slapped her in the upper arm. “Since when did you turn into Wynonna?” Chrissy rolled her eyes dramatically and knocked on the sheriff’s door.

 

A few seconds of nothing but silence passed. “Maybe he’s not here?” Waverly offered. Chrissy shook her head and knocked again.

 

“Lonnie, I already told you that we’re not wasting resources on a local Bigfoot sightin’.” Waverly covered her mouth to stifle the laughter threatening to spill over. Chrissy had no such qualms. She threw the door and walked over to her father’s desk while still giggling.

 

He eyed the bag of food placed in front of him, warily and groaned when he pulled out the salad container. “I’d say I was happy to see you girls, but,” he looked back at the sad excuse of a salad and frowned, “but this looks disgusting.” Chrissy scoffed and tugged the container back to herself. As she began to unpack everything for her father and add in the dressing, he looked at Waverly. “So, I might have, uh, done some lookin’ into that gal pal of yours.” The shocked expression on her face went unnoticed as Chrissy thrust the salad in front of him.

 

“Eat this so you can’t stick your foot in your mouth, old man.” She held out a fork for him to take. “Also, gal pals? Really, Dad?”

 

He grabbed the fork and stabbed at the lettuce in the takeout bowl as though it had personally offended him. “Well, I heard Lonnie talking about his sister-in-law-

 

Chrissy scoffed. “I didn’t know Lonnie had the hot gossip in Purgatory.” Nedley took a small bite out of the salad and immediately spat it out into a napkin. “Dad, what the hell?”

 

“Language,” his gruff voice barked out. “Also, what is this shit?” Waverly felt herself relax into the comfortable chair. She felt like she had been transported back in time to their high school days. She couldn’t count how many times they would head to the station after cheerleading practice only to fall asleep on the couch in the office after Chrissy and her dad started bickering.

 

“It’s a vinegarette dressing. You need to start eating healthier.” Waverly watched as Nedley’s eyes softened. He begrudgingly took a bite of salad. “Thank you,” Chrissy mouthed. “Anyway, Nicole is Waverly’s girlfriend.” Chrissy leaned back into her own chair and crossed her legs. “It’s a little weird that you were stalking her, though.” Waverly had to agree.

 

Nedley took a break from his salad and rolled up his sleeves. “Well, to be perfectly honest, I wanted to kill two birds with one stone.” Waverly bit her lip, unsure of where Chrissy’s dad was going with the conversation. “I wanted to make sure she was, uh,” he shoved another bite of salad into his mouth. “Good enough.” He grabbed a napkin from the plastic bag his food had come in and dabbed at an invisible spot on his shirt. “For Waverly.” A small blush spread across his cheeks, clearly unused to showing emotions around anyone.

 

“Dad, you softie,” Chrissy squealed. Before Waverly could ask him to elaborate, Chrissy had propped her elbows onto her father’s desk as though she were ready for an intense gossip session. “What did you find out? Did you use cool spy resources to dig up dirt on her?” A beat. “Wait. Do you use your resources to look up the guys I date?”

 

Nedley simply shrugged his shoulders. “Anyway, she’s an outstanding ballplayer. I mean, it isn’t hockey, but…” Waverly frowned. As Nicole’s girlfriend, wouldn’t she know that the redhead was skilled? She knew that the girl had been offered a full ride to their school, but that didn’t really translate to Waverly.

 

“Well, according to Waverly, she did kick Champ’s ass at a game,” Chrissy bragged, much to Waverly’s horror. The sheriff chuckled but offered no comment. Instead, he looked down at the salad that he had been attempting to eat before sighing. “What is it, Dad?”

He cleared his throat before sealing the salad container and throwing it the garbage can placed near his desk. “Can I get something to drink to wash the taste of that out of my mouth?”

 

“Water,” Chrissy responded. From the look on the sheriff’s face, Waverly assumed that water was not the man’s first drink of choice. “Actually, I’ll go get it for you out of the break room. I wouldn’t trust you to not steal one of Lonnie’s drinks.” With that, Chrissy walked out of the office, leaving Waverly to her own devices.

 

Nedley scratched his cheek, a nervous tick that Waverly had picked up over the years of being around the Nedley family. “So, Nicole Haught? Birthday’s January 5th?” Waverly panicked. Was that Nicole’s birthday? Surely she knew the girl’s birthday. They were bound to have talked about something as simple as that, right?

 

_Take it easy, Earp._ “Where did you get that information? Do you really use your cop skills to dig up dirt on Chrissy’s boyfriends?”

 

He laughed, much to Waverly’s confusion before waving her over. “I’ll show you my _cop skills_.” She eased out of the chair and looped around his desk, afraid of what she was going to see. Did Nicole have a record? Had Nedley uncovered some dark secret about the girl that was inevitably going to break them up? Waverly was descended from a long list of lawmen. She couldn’t fall for an outlaw.

 

Then she realized that she was living in the real world. There was no such thing as outlaws. And there was no way that Nicole Haught had a criminal record. Nedley’s computer screen lit up to show a picture of Nicole in her basketball jersey. She had a red armband on one of her forearms while she held the ball against her hip with the other. She felt her jaw drop. Still, she couldn’t help but notice that the smile on the redhead’s face was anything but genuine.

 

And yet, the image of Nicole Haught in her actual jersey was no longer something she had to imagine. Why hadn’t she ever googled it? Or show up to a basketball game before? “Her biography is on the school’s team page. I just read that. No cop skills involved.” She quickly backed up to try to go back to her seat but tripped on the corner of Nedley’s desk in an attempt to steal one last look at the picture on the computer.

 

She still hadn’t really thought much about whether she was a lesbian or bisexual or just really into Nicole, but she felt stupid for not noticing from day one that there was something there below the surface.

 

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Nedley typing on his computer and the occasional footsteps outside of his office. “Anyway, the site said she was getting a degree in criminal justice? I know you said she wanted to be a cop, but I guess I didn’t really think much of it.” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Waverly, I don’t want you to think that I’m trying to influence your decisions, but…can you really see yourself being with an officer of the law? I just know that Ward messed up.”

 

The chair beneath Nedley let out a barely-there squeak as he leaned forward. He placed his hands against his desk, palms down, and began to tap out a rhythm against the wood. He was still clearly nervous, and Waverly could understand why.

 

She was uncomfortable. On the one hand, she was mad at Chrissy for leaving her alone to endure the line of questioning from Sheriff Nedley. Of course, on the other hand, she would have died had Chrissy been in the room while Nedley talked about Nicole and her future as a cop. “You know,” she attempted to speak but found that words were a concept that she couldn’t express. “You know,” she began again, this time determined to finish her sentence. “When we were kids, I always told Chrissy that Gus wouldn’t let me come over. I didn’t want to see you, Sheriff.” She looked away from him, unable to meet his eyes. “I knew I would have to see the same uniform that Daddy wore. I thought that anyone who wore this uniform,” she gestured at his outfit, “was a bad man.”

 

“Waverly, I know-

 

“No, Mr. Nedley,” she interrupted. She hoped that he understood that she was speaking to him as her best friend’s father and not the town’s sheriff, “please let me finish. It didn’t take long for me to figure out that you were a terrific person. I was jealous of Chrissy. Not only did she get to have a father in her life, but she had a really good one.” She exhaled loudly and wiped at the tears that had somehow formed without her even knowing it.

 

She heard one of the desk drawers being opened and looked up to see that he was handing her some tissues that had been stored in his desk. “Thank you, Waverly.”

 

The office door slammed open, and Chrissy stepped in with a bottle of water in her hands. Her eyes were mysteriously misty (giving Waverly the bright idea that she had been eavesdropping), but the blonde didn’t say anything. Instead, she handed her father the water and sat down in the seat she had previously been sitting in.

 

The sheriff uncapped the water and took a swig of it. “What are her plans after graduating?” Waverly opened her mouth to answer but was beat to the punch by Chrissy.

 

“Are we talking about Nicole still? She’s going to that cop boot camp, right, Waves?” Waverly kicked Chrissy as subtly as possible, not wanting the girl to let it slip that Nicole was only in Purgatory for money to afford said “boot camp.”

 

The sheriff, for the most part, seemed oblivious to the action. Instead, he hung onto Chrissy’s words as though they were the cure to cancer. “The academy? So, she’s going to have a degree in criminal justice and then go to the academy? She’d be more qualified than any of my officers,” he huffed. “Say, Waverly, do you think that you and Nicole might want to come to have dinner with me?” Chrissy cleared her throat. “Chrissy as well. Would you two want to come over before you head back to school?”

 

“Uh…” She looked at Chrissy, hoping that the blonde could send her a subliminal message as to what was actually going. Chrissy, however, looked just as confused as Waverly felt. “Sure. We’d love to…”

 

“Great!” He stood up from his seat, and Waverly got a distinct feeling that the conversation was over. “Well, it’ll be happy hour at Shorty’s soon, and no offense, darlin’, but this food you brought me was a waste. I’m going to go mingle with the townsfolk.” Chrissy’s jaw dropped, earning a laugh from Waverly.  “Well, go on. I’m not leaving you two in my office.”

 

Chrissy rolled her eyes and tugged at Waverly’s wrist. “Let’s go, babe. We know where we aren’t wanted.” With that, the two girls left the station and made their way back to Chrissy’s car. “So, that was weird, right? Dad seemed to seriously be interested in your girlfriend.”

 

Waverly’s ears reddened upon hearing Chrissy refer to Nicole as her girlfriend. Sure, she had done it before to keep up the charade, but this was the first time she had done it since Waverly had spilled her secret. “She isn’t my girlfriend,” Waverly whispered, dejected. Chrissy waved her arm in a motion that seemed to say “yeah, right.”

 

Chrissy started the car without warning and threw it into drive. The lurching movement instantly made Waverly feel sick to her stomach. It was a knee-jerk reaction to throw the seatbelt around her as though she had minutes left to live (Chrissy’s driving would do that to a person). The blonde noticed and mocked offense, gasping and grabbing at her chest as though she had been wounded. “Have you heard from Nicole since this morning?”

 

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked at the screen that seemed to taunt her for her lack of notifications. She wondered where Nicole was. Waverly assumed Nicole wasn’t with Wynonna since her sister has explicitly told her that she was going to spend time with John Henry, but then that left Nicole stranded somewhere since she had taken Wynonna’s truck.

 

As they pulled into the parking lot at Shorty’s, Chrissy gawked and pointed. At what, Waverly didn’t know. Sometimes it was best to let her best friend have her moments of weirdness without interrupting. Still, Chrissy began to poke at Waverly’s shoulder in a manner that got annoying rather quickly. “What, Chrissy?” The brunette snapped.

 

“Waverly, isn’t that _your_ car?”

 

Her head jerked up and looked in the direction that Chrissy was pointing at. She could see that Nedley was standing behind the red Jeep looking at the tag and then smiling to himself with a shake of his head. She watched as he made his way back to his cruiser and threw a book back inside of it. “I don’t have a car. But why would you think that was mine?”

 

“Well, I don’t know anyone who drives that!” She wanted to tell Chrissy that neither of them knew what people in Purgatory drove since they didn’t, you know, live there, but the blonde was out of the car without a glance behind. “Chrissy, wait!” She unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped out of the vehicle, fast on Chrissy’s heels.

 

“Oh my god,” Chrissy squealed once they were outside the door to Shorty’s. “Did Nicole fix your car for you? How romantic!” Waverly rolled her eyes. It wasn’t romantic. She told Nicole that she could have the damn thing as a payment for being her fake significant other. Had she not told Chrissy that? “She must be inside then! Come on!”

 

“No,” Waverly shouted, grabbing Chrissy by the wrist. “I’m not going in there. I’m getting in Wynonna’s truck.” She pointed at the blue and white Ford that had been in the same parking spot it had been in all day. “Then I’m going back to the homestead.”

 

Chrissy shrugged her shoulders. “You do you, boo. I’m going to talk to Nicole. Maybe I can flirt with her enough that she’ll fix my car. It’s had the check engine light on for a few months.” Waverly’s eyes widened for two reasons:

  1. Had Chrissy seriously just been driving that car for months without worrying that the engine might fall out?
  2. Hell no, she wasn’t going to flirt with Nicole.



 

“Alright, I’m coming,” she groaned. She absentmindedly touched her hair to check for flyaways in her braid and cursed the fact that she hadn’t looked in a mirror before getting out of Chrissy’s car. She sincerely hoped that she didn’t look ridiculous. “Wait,” she whined, “I’m still wearing this stupid shirt,” she called out, though Chrissy ignored her.

 

\--

 

Talking to Shae had been awkward at first. They didn’t really know how to act around one another. One drunk idiot had climbed onto a pool table claiming he wanted to take a quick nap before going home to his wife and that had been enough to get them laughing. After that, it had all been reasonably smooth sailing. They had talked about everything they had both been up to. Mostly Shae had done the talking since Nicole was still doing the exact same thing she had been doing when they had started dating.

 

Shae had been busy with school and clinical rotations, something that had effortlessly confused Nicole. How could someone have enough time on their hands to do so many things when Nicole couldn’t even manage school and basketball without serious issues?

 

As their time together drew on, Shae’s movements grew bolder. What would occasionally be a brush of fingers grew into the occasional handhold. Eventually, Shae had gone to the bathroom and upon returning, sat on the same side of the booth as Nicole. The flowers sat on the table, undisturbed. Shae would occasionally look at them and smile, twisting the knife in Nicole’s chest even further.

 

She was torn. Almost as if there were two Nicole’s inside of her. The one that had dated Shae for a long time and been in love with her. The Nicole that wanted nothing more than to marry the girl and spend the rest of their lives together. That Nicole was happy to see Shae.

 

The other version of Nicole, however, felt as though she was cheating on Waverly. She had gone through the heartbreak of losing Shae and had come out of it okay. She had met Waverly and fallen hopelessly for her in a matter of weeks.

 

Shae had explained that her father had passed away. It hurt Nicole to hear that she hadn’t been around to comfort the girl that she had once loved so enthusiastically, but Shae seemed to be doing well. “It’s why I’m here right now,” she explained with a pensive look on her face. She reached out and touched Nicole’s cheek. Without consent, her body leaned into the touch. It was familiar and safe. “Mother found a new job. She doesn’t want to live in Toronto anymore. She’s…” Shae’s face lit up with a smile. “She said that life is too short, Nicky. It’s too short for us to not do the things we want to do. So, I’m here.”

 

Nicole struggled to follow the conversation. All of a sudden, the music in the background was too loud, the men drinking at the bar were too rowdy. She couldn’t hear what Shae was hearing over the pounding of her heart. Was she having a mental break down? She looked around the room and calmed instantly. Standing in the doorway was Waverly Earp. As though the brunette could feel eyes on her, she looked at Nicole and smiled.

 

Nicole hadn’t seen Waverly all day. The girl looked amazing. She took her breath away even in her cute denim shorts and the top that showed off her beautiful abs. Nicole could vaguely hear Shae calling her name, but was too wrapped up in the feelings that came over her anytime Waverly walked in a room. “Oh, it’s that Waverly girl,” she heard Shae whisper, which immediately grabbed her attention.

 

“What?”

 

Before much else could be said, Chrissy Nedley was standing in front of her with a scowl on her face. “What is this, Nicole?” She opened her mouth and realized she had no idea what to say. Then Chrissy broke out into a laugh and sat down across from the two of them, Waverly following suit. “How’s it going?”

 

Nicole picked at Doc’s shirt, imagining that there was dust that needed to be brushed away. Anything to get her out of the current situation she was in. Brown eyes managed to glance at Waverly, who was looking at the flowers on the table with a frown on her face. How she wished she could tell the girl that the flowers had been for her. “Hi, Nicole. Shae.”

 

She then noticed that the sheriff of the town was looking at them from his spot at the bar. Why were all of these people staring at her? The only thing that could possibly make things worse would be if Wynonna showed up. “Wynonna isn’t coming, is she?” She managed to ask. Waverly bit her lip, probably to keep from laughing at her and simply shook her head.

 

“My dad wants you and Waves to come over for dinner this week. He has a hard-on for you, Cole,” Chrissy interrupted, much to everyone at the table’s horror. Waverly slapped Chrissy in the arm while Shae simply cleared her throat.

 

While Nicole wanted to follow Chrissy’s conversation, scared of why she had caught Mr. Nedley’s attention, Shae’s eyes were locked on Waverly’s. “We met earlier? How do you know Nicole?”

 

She swore she could hear a quiet, “here we go,” from Chrissy. She panicked. Absolutely panicked. What was she supposed to do in such a fucked-up situation?

 

“Well, I told Waverly that I would come here as her date because she lied to her sister about being single. She’s really cool, but she’s straight which kind of sucks because I think I really like her. Actually, I know that I like her because I spent every dime I had fixing up this car of hers even though it was brought to my attention that not only would she hate the gesture, but that I’m an idiot for doing it.”

 

Well, that’s what she wanted to say anyway. Instead? “She’s my Waverly.” Waverly looked at her with such wonder, the rest of the bar fell away again. Somehow the brunette was able to make it feel as though they were the only two in the room. “I mean, she’s…we go to school together. Spring break.”

 

Shae looked at Waverly intently. “I’m happy to hear that Nicky has someone there to take care of her. I was worried about her after our breakup.” Waverly visibly deflated with each word that came out of Shae’s mouth.

 

Waverly nodded and smiled, but Nicole knew the girl was upset about something. “I’m actually going back to the homestead. We’re sorry to have crashed your date,” Waverly explained before kicking Chrissy out of the booth. She could tell that something, in particular, had brought Waverly to the verge of tears but was unsure of what it was.

 

“Waverly, wait,” she called out while trying to climb over Shae.

 

Chrissy had managed to make it to the door and was, judging by the look on her face, cursing Nicole with some form of witchcraft. “Those flowers are lovely,” Waverly managed to say before turning away and following Chrissy out the door.

 

Shae looked at the door before turning back to look at the redhead. “Uh,” Nicole scratched the back of her neck, “that was weird. Sorry.”

 

Shae shook her head. “Nicole.”

 

With that one word, Nicole knew that Shae was 0020serious. “Yeah?”

 

“It’s okay if you have feelings for her.” Shae then reached out and grabbed Nicole’s chin, forcing the tall girl to make eye contact. “Do you remember what I told you when we broke up?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“That if we were meant to be, we would find each other again. I’m here. I never stopped loving you. I’m prepared to do anything to make this work. _If_ that’s something you still want.” With that, she pressed a gentle kiss to Nicole’s cheek and slid out of the booth. “I’ll be in the city for the rest of the week. Call me when you’re ready to talk.”

 

“Don’t forget your flowers,” Nicole weakly called out. Shae grabbed them and smiled.

 

Once Shae had walked out of the bar, she groaned. Before she had time to get out of the booth she had been sitting in, another body fell into the seat across from her. She wanted to grab the water Shae had left behind and throw it in the face of whoever had decided to sit with her. She was tired and wanted to go find Waverly and explain anything that she could to make the girl see that she wasn’t trying to hurt her.

 

Instead, she had been bombarded again. She looked up and gave a weak wave when she saw Hardy in the seat across from her. “Hey, Champ.”

 

“Hey,” he grunted before taking a sip of his beer. “You told me you would do me a favor the other day for being a man and losing on purpose in front of Waverly. Remember?” Nicole chuckled. She hadn’t expected him to actually want a favor. Nicole just knew that guys like Champ needed to feel important. After their game of ball that had left her face bruised and still slightly sore, she knew she needed to make the guy feel as though he hadn’t had his ass kicked by a girl…even though he had.

 

And to him, he felt like an outstanding man who had the dignity to let a girl win. “What kind of favor do you need?” He looked around the bar as though someone was going to care what he had to say. “You’re really dating Waverly?”

 

She didn’t know how to answer that. Did Waverly want to possibly get back with him? She didn’t want to ruin things for the girl. “What does that have to do with your favor?”

 

He rolled his eyes and took another gulp of beer from his mug. Nicole watched as he slammed the cup down on the table and flinched at the loud noise. “I want to talk to her.” She balled her fists under the table and waited for him to continue. “I said some shitty stuff that first night we met. I wanna apologize and stuff. I asked Wynonna, but she just laughed at me and walked off.” He scoffed. “She’s been really mean since she started seeing Doc.”

 

Well, she didn’t really know what to say to that. “Yeah, sure, Champ.” He smiled and saluted at her before sliding out of the booth. “Also, if you could get Wynonna to leave me alone. I don’t want to tell anyone, but she’s kind of hurting my feelings.” She bit back a laugh. Who knew that the resident jock had a fragile exterior? “Nice hat, by the way.” He tipped an invisible hat to her and walked away with what was left of his beer.

 

Dear God, if she didn’t get out of that bar and soon…

 

She raced outside, not wanting to be stopped by any other hillbilly that wanted something from her. Thankfully, she had been nursing sodas at the bar and was more than capable of driving herself back to the McCready Ranch, where she assumed the Jeep needed to go.

 

She slammed her fists against the back of the car upon seeing the groceries that had been left behind the front seat. The majority of the food would be ruined. Nicole simply scoffed. It was more money down the drain. “I almost gave you a ticket earlier,” she heard from behind her. Realizing it was someone in law enforcement, she held back her attitude. She spun around to see that it was Chrissy’s dad. “The license plate? Very out of date.” She looked at it and nodded. “Can’t very well give Michelle Earp a ticket though, can I?”

 

She fell against the side of the vehicle and sighed. What had started as a good day had ended up being one of the weirdest days of her life. She and Curtis had put a lot of effort into cleaning the Jeep up for Waverly. Gus had pretty much encouraged Nicole to take Waverly out somewhere nice with the car. Wynonna had been pretty rude. Maybe Champ was onto something with that; she didn’t know.

 

Then Shae had barreled in. Had Shae come back into her life a month ago, things would have been so much easier for her. She wouldn’t have known what it felt like to hold Waverly Earp. She wouldn’t have known what it sounded like to hear Waverly laugh.

 

She wouldn’t have known Waverly at all.

 

That was the problem, wasn’t it? She knew Waverly. She cared about Waverly. Everything that made Waverly the person she was was something that Nicole admired and adored.

 

And yet…

 

And yet….

 

Waverly was straight. Waverly was never going to return her feelings.

 

…could she?

 

“Uh, Miss Haught?” She snapped back into reality upon hearing the gruff voice of the sheriff. She saw his patrol car in the distance and groaned. More flashes of her night with Wynonna filled her mind. She vaguely remembered throwing up in his vehicle and moaned even louder, throwing her hands over her face in embarrassment.

 

“Sir, I just want to apologize for what happened. I can…I can pay to have your car detailed?” No, she really couldn’t. She hoped the man would cut her some slack.

 

He simply threw his head back and laughed. “It’s alright. We were actually in Lonnie’s cruiser. Mine is in the shop.” He looked her up and down as though he were studying her for some unknown reason. It made her feel judged. “Er…Actually, I don’t know if you’ve talked to your gal-girlfriend,” he corrected, much to Nicole’s confusion, “but I invited the two of you over for dinner.”

 

“Uh, yeah.” Why was this exchange so awkward? Maybe she should have been more thankful for her parents abandoning her. It clearly saved her from a lot of uncomfortable experiences. “Chrissy told me, actually.” He nodded, clearly happy with the answer. “Sir, I know that I’ve given you a horrible impression of who I am as a person, but is there a reason you’re doing this in particular?” She stood up straight and hoped that she hadn’t accidentally booked herself a one-way ticket to a jail cell.

 

Upon moving his hands to his duty belt, Nicole truly began to panic. She really was going to be arrested…by Chrissy Nedley’s father, no less. He noticed the fear on Nicole’s face and looked down to see what exactly it was that she was looking at. His hands weren’t near his gun? Shaking his head, he decided to simply answer her question. “Let’s just say that I have a gut feeling that I want to check out. Is that alright?” She nodded. “Have a good evening, Miss Haught. I’ll have my daughter get in touch with Miss Earp.”

 

She swallowed thickly, slightly afraid, and more than a bit confused at the turn of events. “Why not,” she grumbled aloud before jumping into the car. “Wynonna, Shae, Champ, the sheriff.” She cranked the vehicle up and smiled when it roared to life. At least something was going her way. She quickly turned the GPS on and waited for it to calculate the trip back to the ranch.

 

Feeling her cell phone ring, she quickly pulled it out of her pocket. Not recognizing the number, she let it go.

 

Worried that someone else would appear from Shorty’s, she quickly drove away. She wasn’t taking any chances. She turned the radio on and attempted to get a station to come in. She _still_ hadn’t figured out if it was messed up or if it was a lack of radio stations around the tiny town.

 

-

 

Waverly looked around the room and waited for someone to say something. She had arrived half an hour ago and expected Wynonna to be ready to go back home. Instead, Gus and Curtis had been waiting on the front porch with matching smiles. They had been quick to tell her that Wynonna was attempting to cook dinner for the family as some sort of gesture to them all.

 

So, she had found herself in the living room with Gus and Curtis while Wynonna was in the kitchen whispering to who she assumed to be John Henry. She wanted to ask if anyone had heard from Nicole, but was afraid of the answer she might get. “Waverly?” Her aunt waved her hands in front of Waverly’s face. Had she zoned out? “Have you talked to Nicole today?” She frowned.

 

Curtis chuckled from his recliner and put down his book of crossword puzzles. “Babygirl, she’s something else. You really picked a good one this time. I almost wish she wasn’t going back to school. I’d hire her to replace Mr. James.” He laughed at his own joke, but it just made Waverly’s heart clench. Her family genuinely liked Nicole.

 

To them, she had already come out. She was in a loving relationship with someone they respected.

 

_What a joke._ Waverly felt herself tear up but held it in. She wasn’t going to lose it in front of her aunt and uncle just because she somehow had developed feelings for a girl that pretended to date people in exchange for cash. Or in this case, a stupid car.

 

“Okay, the food is ready,” Wynonna shouted from the kitchen. “I called Gingivitis, but she didn’t pick up the phone.” Waverly pinched herself to keep the focus off of her emotional feelings and possible waterworks. Nicole was probably still with Shae. Maybe Nicole was going to go back to her dorm without any words of goodbye to her.

 

She heard Gus mutter a prayer under her breath and looked over at the older woman. She couldn’t remember Gus being much of a religious person. Gus caught her staring and winked. “Praying we don’t end up in the hospital for whatever it is your sister just made us.”

 

Waverly laughed at the joke but felt the need to defend her sister. “She actually made a delicious breakfast for us this morning.” Gus, of course, looked wary of the information but said nothing else. Instead, she patted her niece on the shoulder and followed her husband into the kitchen to see whatever concoction Wynonna had come up with.

 

Waverly stood up to follow them, but the sound of an engine pulling up filled her with the hope that Nicole was back. She walked toward the front door and grabbed the handle. She didn’t know if she ought to open the door and wait for Nicole on the porch, or turn around and go to the kitchen with everyone else.

 

Curiosity got the better of her, and she stepped outside. The sky, beautiful colors of orange and pink, was slowly fading away as the sun began to set. She could see Nicole, however, near the barn. The girl was closing the doors and wiping her palms on her dirty jeans, a small bag of groceries by her side. The redhead looked up, and their eyes met immediately. It warmed her body in a way that no blanket ever could, the feeling of having Nicole Haught’s eyes on her.

 

How was it that they managed to always find each other in crowded rooms or open fields that stretched miles? She waved and watched as Nicole’s face broke out into a smile. The last of the sun’s rays on her face as though it somehow knew Nicole was the most beautiful creature on Earth and deserved to be the last thing touched by it.

 

Suddenly, Nicole held her finger up and began to jog back to the field behind the barn. Waverly had absolutely no idea what the girl was doing but waited on her nonetheless. Time passed slowly, and Waverly truly wanted to tell Nicole that whatever she was doing wasn’t worth it. There were two flaws to that idea. Anything that Nicole ever wanted to do in her life was worth it because she deserved to be happy. That, and there was no way that Waverly could shout loud enough for Nicole to hear her without her entire family running outside.

 

Finally, she could make out Nicole’s figure coming her way. She carried the plastic bag in one hand and held the other behind her back. She wished that the distance between them wasn’t so great so that Nicole would be there quicker.

 

As though reading her mind, Nicole began to walk faster. Waverly wasn’t a helpless woman, however. She decided to meet the redhead halfway and ran out to her as well. It seemed romantic in a sense, but the shorter girl shoved that thought into the back of her mind. She needed to continually remind herself that Nicole wasn’t actually her girlfriend.

 

Upon meeting by Wynonna’s truck, Nicole smiled self-consciously and looked down at Waverly with an unreadable expression. “I went to the store earlier.”

 

Well, that wasn’t what Waverly expected to hear. Nicole laughed at the look on the younger girl’s face. “I went to pick up some groceries for your house since I didn’t really know how much Wynonna had stocked. Anyway, that’s not the point. I saw these flowers there, and I just…I grabbed them without thinking about it. I wanted you to have them.” She frowned. That meant Shae stole her flowers! She held out the hand that had been behind her back and offered her freshly picked wildflowers that had come from the McCready’s field. She was almost sure that one or two of the flowers were weeds, but that didn’t matter. All the tears that she had held at bay throughout the day had finally reached their breaking point. “Waves, shit, I’m sorry. I know they aren’t as pretty as the other ones, but…” Brown eyes looked away from her, as though Nicole were upset with her second-rate flowers.

 

“No, you idiot,” Waverly sniffled, punching Nicole lightly against her chest. “These are better than the stupid grocery store flowers.”

 

As soon as she heard the words Waverly had said, Nicole looked at her and grinned. “Yeah?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Waverly grabbed the hand that wasn’t holding groceries and interlocked their fingers and pulled Nicole toward the house. She could see the redhead’s beaming smile from the corner of her eyes and couldn’t help but smile with her. “So, Wynonna made dinner for the family.” She wanted to pat herself on the back for how casual she made herself sound. Below the surface, she was a bundle of nerves, hormones, and excitement. “I actually heard Gus praying that the food was edible and didn’t…you know, poison us all.” Nicole stopped walking.

 

She looked at Waverly and then at the house. “Should we sneak away and go eat something else?” Waverly laughed. She would have taken Nicole up on the offer, but she knew it would upset Gus if they opted out of whatever food Wynonna had prepared. Not because they would have been missing family time, mind you. She just knew that Gus would be angry that she and Nicole had edible food.

 

Waverly continued walking. Rather than have to let go of her hand, Nicole started walking as well. “Well,” she began to explain, “Wynonna actually cooked breakfast for me this morning?”

 

She felt Nicole stiffen beside her. “Was it…was it good?” She nodded. The news, for some reason, made Nicole smile and nod to herself. They reached the front porch and Waverly eagerly rushed in, Nicole’s hand still in her own. “Where should I put this?” She noticed that Nicole was gesturing to the Stetson on her head. A naughty part of her wanted to tell Nicole that she needed to wear it in the bedroom sometime, but she just wasn’t brave enough to utter the words. Especially since they hadn’t even really talked about Waverly’s realization. Instead, she grabbed the hat from Nicole’s head and sat it gently on the coffee table.

 

Expecting Nicole to follow her to the kitchen, she as surprised when the redhead grabbed her hand again. They were literally a room away from their destination, but it made her stomach do flips to have Nicole’s fingers firmly grasping at her own. “I’ll put these in some water. Do any of the groceries need to be put in the fridge until we go back to the homestead?”

 

Nicole laughed awkwardly. “About that. I kind of stayed at Shorty’s too long and the cool things ruined.” Waverly frowned. “But, uh, I managed to salvage some of your vegan crap.” The brunette pouted for show but was thrilled that Nicole took such good care of her when it came to her veganism.

 

They made it into the kitchen and found everyone standing around awkwardly. Wynonna shuffled her weight from one foot to another while Gus glared at the blue-eyed woman. “What’s going on?” Nicole questioned.

 

Wynonna looked up and sighed. “Babygirl, I messed up the food.”

 

Before Nicole or Waverly could question it, Curtis attempted to lighten the mood. “Your sister made hot dogs and macaroni and cheese for our culinary experience tonight. Apparently, it’s the cowboy’s favorite meal.” Waverly looked at her sister in confusion. The girl had made her a delicious tofu scramble for breakfast but had made macaroni and cheese for dinner? It just didn’t make sense.

 

She turned to look at Nicole. “You made my breakfast this morning.” Nicole’s eyes widened. Why she tried to deny it, Waverly didn’t know. Eventually, Nicole simply nodded. “Why didn’t you just say so?”

 

She was perfectly aware that everyone was looking at the two of them. Well, everyone except John Henry, who had been in the dining room eating since before they had walked inside. Nicole sighed and tried to look at Wynonna. She looked at her sister and realized that her sister was looking everywhere except Nicole. “I knew how much it meant to you that Wynonna wanted to prove herself to you, or whatever. I thought it would mean more to you if the food came from Wynonna instead of me.”

 

She watched as Gus walked over and pressed a kiss to Nicole’s cheek. “She’s a good kid,” Gus announced after pulling away. “Anyway, I’ll find something we can make for you, darlin’. The rest of you go keep the Doc Holliday wannabe company.” Waverly attempted to follow suit, but Nicole’s firm grip held her hostage.

 

“Mrs. McCready, you deserve to enjoy your…,” Nicole looked over at the stove and cringed. The macaroni and cheese was in a pot by itself. Besides the bowl was a tiny plate with cut-up hot dogs. Waverly wanted to laugh at Wynonna’s attempt to keep the meal safe for her but instead looked back at Nicole to see what the redhead was going to say. “What I meant to say was that I’ve got some stuff that I can make for Waverly and me.” She shook the grocery bag that was still in her hand.

 

Gus turned around and poked Nicole in the chest. “I’ve told you already to call me Gus, young lady.” Nicole shrugged her shoulders but smiled nonetheless. “Save me some of whatever you make. Please,” Gus added with a whisper so only the two of them could hear her. Nicole laughed and nodded.

 

Wynonna eased her way over to the two of them and grabbed Waverly’s shoulder. She squeezed lightly and managed to look genuinely upset over the incident. “I’m really sorry, Waverly. I’m an idiot.” She then looked at Nicole and turned around to re-join her family in the dining room.

 

Waverly scoffed at the animosity Wynonna was showing towards Nicole. What had happened in a day that had turned her sister against the tall girl? Nicole looked just as confused as Waverly felt. “So, what are you cookin’ for me?” She questioned in an attempt to reroute the evening.

 

Nicole pulled away and opened the bag of groceries. “Well, I couldn’t salvage much, but I think I can try to make black beans,” she pulled out a few cans of black beans, “corn,” followed by the corn, “and quinoa.” She cocked her head to the side. “I use the term try loosely,” she admitted. “I’ve been looking up different meals for you, but I couldn’t really practice in the dorm so…this might be disgusting.”

 

Waverly felt a surge of emotion rush through her. Overwhelmed and unsure of how to handle the feeling, she grabbed Nicole’s waist and spun her around. The redhead had an adorable look of confusion on her face that just made Waverly want to kiss her.

 

So, that’s what she did. Sort of.

 

She stood on her tip-toes and made herself as tall as she could before grabbing Nicole’s neck and pulling her down. It wasn’t anything more than a brief meeting of lips, but she felt a hunger beneath the surface. There was no doubt in her mind that she was attracted to Nicole Haught. Nicole fell back against the counter with a goofy grin on her face, but to Waverly, she had never looked better.

 

\--

If Nicole had to guess, her food didn’t actually suck too much. Waverly had gone back for seconds (whether it was because she was hungry or wanted to make Nicole feel better, she wasn’t sure). Gus had eaten a bit of Wynonna’s weird “MacDog” as she dubbed it but then switched to eat the vegan meal with her niece. All in all, it was a good evening, Nicole thought.

 

The group had laughed and told stories. There were several stories about young Waverly that made Nicole fall even harder for the girl. Nicole honestly couldn’t remember the last time she had been in a room surrounded by people that so obviously cared about each other. A part of Nicole felt envious that no one in her life loved her. Still, she couldn’t be mad that Waverly had people in her corner. Not when the younger woman had lost her mother, father, and oldest sister as a child.

 

Nicole wasn’t the smartest person in the world, and she knew that. One of her many skills, however, was people reading. It’s what made her a good basketball player and, hopefully, what would make her a good cop.

 

Waverly, on the other hand, was probably the smartest person that Nicole had ever had the privilege of knowing. She was often blinded her emotions; however, so, it didn’t surprise Nicole when the brunette denied that her sister was upset with Nicole over something.

 

It had been blatantly obvious to Nicole, on the other hand. Things had gone well with breakfast but after that? It had spiraled. Wynonna had been rude upon finding out what Nicole had spent time fixing the Jeep (she still hadn’t really talked to Waverly about the vehicle), she had ignored Nicole anytime the redhead tried to speak with her during dinner, and then she had tried to force Nicole to ride in the bed of the truck on the way back to the homestead because of a “balance problem” with the tires.

 

That didn’t remotely make sense.

 

Waverly walked in the bedroom, hair wet from her shower, with a t-shirt that Nicole recognized as one of her own, and no pants. She forced herself to look away from the sculpted tan legs that were put on display for her and instead glared at Waverly. “I didn’t pack enough clothes for you to steal my shirts to sleep in every night.”

 

Waverly shut the door behind her and crossed the floor in a few strides, choosing to sit _right next_ to her. Nicole was thankful that she was still wearing jeans; otherwise, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to handle the feeling of Waverly’s silky thighs against her own. “Lucky for you, Wynonna has this weird machine that washes dirty clothes.”

 

“Okay, smartass,” Nicole joked. “So, I actually wanted to talk to you about today.” Waverly shook her head as though the idea of talking about their days was appalling. “Waves, I just want to talk to you about Shae. I want to work through things with-”

 

Like a switch had been flipped, Waverly’s playful attitude was gone. Despite being beautiful no matter what, her clenched jaw and furrowed brows intimidated Nicole. She wanted to ask Waverly what she had done to cause such a reaction but was afraid she’d somehow make the entire situation worse. “I don’t care what you do about Shae,” Waverly snapped, wrapping her arms around herself.

 

Nicole reached a shaky hand out to offer the tiny girl some sort of comfort, but the action was not well-received. Waverly jumped away from Nicole as though the redhead’s touch was painful. “Waverly, what?” Without being able to see Waverly’s face, however, Nicole was unsure of what to do in the situation.

“I said,” Waverly explained with her back to Nicole, “that I don’t care what you do about Shae. You’re here so that my family,” she hissed, bending over to grab a pair of pants from her own suitcase, “thinks I have a significant other.” As she pulled the sweats on, she finally turned around and looked at Nicole.

 

She had never seen Waverly look so _mean_ before. “Waves, I’m trying to talk to you here about something important. Can you just listen? Please?” For a moment, she could see the pain in the brunette’s eyes and wanted nothing more than to scoop the smaller girl into her arms and just hold her close.     “I wanted to tell you this a different way, but you’re kind of…” Nicole shrugged. She stood up and took a few steps to where Waverly was standing. She could smell the girl’s flowery shampoo and then swooned inwardly. The urge to hug Waverly returned even stronger. She wanted to cradle the girl’s head against her own chest and just inhale everything that Waverly was. “Seeing Shae today was surreal.”

 

“Seriously, Nicole?” Waverly pushed against Nicole’s chest, sending her back a few feet. While the action itself hurt, the fact that Waverly had reacted in such a way upon hearing her try to fumble her way through asking for a date? It almost felt worse than being kicked out of her parents’ house.

 

Nicole scoffed and pinched the bridge of her nose, not wanting Waverly to know that her actions had brought her near tears. “Yeah, what was I thinking? Sorry, Waverly. Message received, loud and clear.” She raised two fingers to her temple and saluted like some sort of loser.

 

Then the universe really decided to shit on her, Nicole thought angrily, as Wynonna shoved their bedroom door open. She looked as though she had been crying, but Nicole couldn’t make herself care. Not when Waverly had practically yelled at her in disgust only moments prior. “Red, you need to sleep in Waverly’s old room.”

 

She opened her mouth and prayed that coherent words would fall out. Instead, she feared she looked like a dying fish gasping for its breath. She wanted to look at Waverly and gloat: she had been right about Wynonna being mad at her for some unknown reason. “Sure thing, Wynonna,” she exhaled. She grabbed a few of her items to take to the next bedroom over, almost thankful that the blue-eyed woman had spared her an awkward night with Waverly. She wondered if said girl was going to say something-anything about Wynonna’s shit attitude, but the silence that followed told Nicole everything she needed to know. “Actually, I’d rather just crash on the couch. I’ll see myself out.”

 

She quickly left the room, not wanting to deal with whatever stupid sisterly bonding thing Wynonna and Waverly were going to do. She jogged down the stairs and immediately went out to the front porch. There was no way in hell she was going back in the homestead until both Earp sisters had fallen asleep.

 

The night air felt good against her wet cheeks. It stung. It made her feel alive though. “How stupid are you,” she questioned the night sky. She eased herself into the sole rocking chair on the porch and began to cry openly. “Quit being a child, Nicole,” she warned herself, much like her parents always did if she got upset.

She pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket and debated with herself. She chewed on a fingernail and contemplated her options. She felt embarrassed and humiliated. More than that, she felt hurt.

 

Mind made up, she dialed a familiar number.

 

“Hey, Shae. I was hoping we could talk?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sheesh. Will these idiots get their shit together or what?
> 
> Come yell at me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/mmetcalfe91) or [tumblr](https://superstitious-pigeons.tumblr.com)


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